As soon as Benjamin Andrew Stokes completed his magnificent innings at Headingley in August 2019 to keep The Ashes alive, I was in no doubt that he would be named BBC Sport Personality of the Year for 2019. Just last year, Stokes was arrested after a fight outside a nightclub, before being found not guilty of the charges. The event marred his public reputation, but he came back and did something many would have never thought possible, for the most part clearing his name in this country, and then some, elevating his name to a well-merited high status.
The other nominees have all had a phenomenal year in their respective disciplines – there’s nobody ‘undeserving’ of the award. Dina Asher-Smith stormed to 200m gold in the Athletics World Championship in Doha, Katarina Johnson-Thompson did the same in the heptathlon. While Lewis Hamilton equalled the great Michael Schumacher’s record of F1 Drivers’ Championships, Raheem Sterling made waves both on and off the field with his Premier League win and activism, and Alun Wyn-Jones captained Wales to Six Nations glory.
It’s difficult to compare the achievements of all six nominees, who have contributed massively to their sports. But the way I see it is – if a cricketer hasn’t done enough to scoop the award this year, no cricketer ever will.
The final of the Cricket World Cup at Lord’s was a nail-biting affair. My eyes never left my TV screen, not only fretting about whether or not England would finally win, but also the future of this sport in the UK. Cricket is of course not as popular as football, as it’s not a year-round game, and it can be difficult to access for new, casual fans. It was also described as struggling before the tournament. Grassroots cricket needed a spark to get something going. Aspiring cricketers needed an idol. What could be better than an England World Cup win? The drama of a super over added to the spectacle of a game that’s often regarded as slow-moving and boring. “Yes, every single game of cricket is like that!” I said over text to my friends, who were watching cricket for the first time in their lives.
Stokes did that.
If that wasn’t enough, there was Headingley. I won’t get into details, because you all know the story. 135 not out, battling the Australian pace attack on the tenth wicket partnership. It was a story that the commentators couldn’t even find the cliches to describe it with. Stokes saved English Cricket twice in one year. The announcement of The Hundred came before the CWC and Ashes. It was desperation from the ECB. I cringed initially at the idea. Did T20 really need further shortening? Was there nothing else they could do to try and get youngsters involved and interested? The Ashes was not broadcast on free-to-air, and nor would the final have been if England didn’t make it.
Ben Stokes celebrates hitting the winning runs in the Fourth Ashes Test at Headingley (Getty Images)
I thought cricket was on a downward spiral. Thankfully, Stokes came to the rescue. Two outstanding performances united the country. I was proud seeing so many non cricket fans tuning into a Test match. That just doesn’t happen usually, the same way that the Euros or FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon, or Six Nations can sometimes do. I can only hope that this becomes a repeating trend. All eyes will be on Stokes next summer; although there isn’t a major international tournament, he’s got The Hundred itself in which he can impress.
We haven’t seen a cricketer win SPOTY since Freddie Flintoff took it home in 2005 (following The Ashes). A win for Stokes would be the only correct decision. Simply put, the man won the World Cup for England. A condition for nomination is that the athlete “Reflects UK sporting achievements on the national and/or international stage”. He did both this year, with stunning individual tenacity and skill. Undoubtedly, Stokes has earned my vote, and I urge you to do the same.
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