Age: 31 Sport: Cricket
Stokes, the 2019 Sports Personality winner, starred as England won the men’s T20 World Cup by beating Pakistan in a thrilling final.
Under intense pressure at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Stokes was there at the end on 52 not out.
Having inherited a side with one win in their last 17 Tests, Stokes’ England claimed nine victories from 10 games in increasingly audacious fashion against New Zealand, India, South Africa and Pakistan.
He captained England to one of their greatest overseas performances, with a bold declaration helping secure victory with a record run rate in their first Test in Pakistan for 17 years. It set his side on the path to a historic 3-0 series win.
Stokes told BBC Sport: “I think it shows that you don’t have to be stuck in a particular way of playing Test cricket just because it’s been done for however long, a long period of time. It’s different but it’s exciting to watch.”
