CHITTAGONG: England coach Trevor Bayliss has backed Ben Stokes to become one of cricket’s all-time greats, joking that the combative all-rounder is likely to deck anyone who dares give him a rest.

With star paceman Jimmy Anderson currently sidelined, Stokes is emerging as one of the keys to England’s chances on a marathon tour of the sub-continent.

Stokes was named man-of-the-match after Monday’s dramatic finale to the first Test in Chittagong which saw England edge home by 22 runs in a nail-biting contest.

Bayliss said the 25-year-old was still at a relatively early stage in his career but had the potential to be an all-time great.

“It’s going to be easier to judge the longer he goes. The potential of the guy — he could be right up there with some of the all-time best all-rounders,” Bayliss told reporters. “Only time will tell, but certainly, the strides he’s made here on the subcontinent playing spin have been top class. It wasn’t all that long ago we were wondering how he might go on spin-friendly wickets, but he’s a guy that works extremely hard in the nets.”

Published in Dawn October 27th, 2016

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