Cricket
How I train: Ben Stokes
The cricketing colossus on the benefits of building stamina, the downsides of yoga, and how Call of Duty helps him mentally reset.
There are some athletes who simply seem born for the big stage. Mind you, in the case of cricket's Ben Stokes, so often the source of sporting ecstasy and countless beer-flinging celebrations, it can feel as if the big stage was born for him.
England's 30-year-old all-rounder thrives on pressure and raising his game when it counts: think dragging England over the line to the 2019 Cricket World Cup, his third test heroics in The Ashes in the same year (now talked about as one of the greatest innings of all-time) or any number of his jaw-dropping overhead catches.
But where does that extra yard come from when he's flat out on his feet on a sweltering day after almost three hours of batting? What preparation goes on behinds the scenes with so much at stake? And just how does he make those those, quite frankly, ludicrous catches?
Ben Stokes in the 2019 World Cup Final vs New Zealand
© Getty
What does a normal training day look like for you?
With England, we’re usually there [ECB Performance Centre] for three or four hours. Training days for us are split into the main disciplines; so a full day for me would be a bowling session, batting session and fielding session. Because cricket, in general, is very skill-based, the drills will be things like one-handed catching. It's very simple, but very effective – we bat, we bowl and we field the exact same way we would in a match. We also fit gym time in, too.
I do plenty of injury prevention work on my knee and back, which have been the two of the worst injuries of my career so far.
What do your gym programmes look like?
My gym work is strongly based around injury prevention and it’s always evolving. What I did two or three years ago is different to what I do now because of how my body has changed. Right now I do a lot of shoulder mobility work, stretching them to help them stay strong. I'll also do quick core circuits because of my back, and some hamstring circuits which help secure my knee. My knee and back have been the two of the worst injuries of my career so far.
Do you feel the benefit of these exercises?
Yeah, it’s just injury prevention stuff. I need to make sure these small muscles, around my back, my knee, are all used to fatigue over a long period of time. So keeping on top of that is crucial for me staying on the park for as long as I can.
BenStokes
© Red Bull
How many rest days do you tend to get a week?
I can’t say for sure because it’s too scattered in cricket – it's too random. Rest days. Sleep. Golf. Call of Duty...
Do you play much Call of Duty when you’re away with England?
Yeah, I'm on PC but when I’m travelling I’ll take a gaming laptop so that it takes up less space with my luggage. Gaming has turned into a real aspect of touring. It helps you keep in touch with people. You don’t pick up your phone and speak to your mate for a couple of hours, but if you’re logging into [Call of Duty] Warzone you can get your comms together and spend hours chatting while playing. It’s a way to switch off after training.
Do you find your training sessions increase or decrease as a season goes on?
It doesn’t increase or decrease. The best way to describe it is maintenance, really. If we don’t do something for a certain amount of time, we're then going to put our bodies through quite a lot of stress if we go straight back into it. In lockdown, I'd even be stood outside my front door throwing a rubber ball against the house. When we couldn’t train, it was about just doing what I could with the facilities around me.
Apparently you tried yoga in lockdown. How was it?
It was boring. That was just a phase I was going through with keeping myself entertained. Everyone’s an individual when it comes to what works for them, but I tried to see if I could find anything in it but I didn't. Like everyone else, I was watching plenty of TV, too. If there’s a good series people are ranting or raving about I’ll watch it. Me and my wife are currently watching The Crown – I’ve really enjoyed it.
Injury prevention is a key focus for Ben's training plan
© Greg Coleman / Red Bull Content Pool
Ben practices the finer details of a typical match, like one-handed catches
© Greg Coleman / Red Bull Content Pool
You’re a world-class all-rounder, but has there ever been something of a weakness in your game you’ve had to practise at?
Over the last four years, I’ve focused a lot more on my fitness levels than I probably did when I was like 22 or 23. When you’re older you have to work at it a lot more. Stamina training is completely different for different athletes, and in cricket, it’s about short, sharp bursts that we expend our energy on, which is why we do a lot of interval training – a minute on, 30 seconds rest, and do that 10 times. It’s very rare I’d go out for a 10k run, because why would I do that? I don’t enjoy long-distance running, it’s boring.
Ben Stokes training with Rajasthan Royals
© Sajal Kapoor | Rajasthan Royals
Talk me through recovery then. What sort of resistance work or recovery work have you been doing?
I’ll get a massage if I need to. Some people like ice baths but I don’t; I’ve never been a fan of them and certainly never felt the benefit of them. Sleep’s the best thing – six, seven hours is enough for me, but I’ll try and get nine hours if it’s the day before a big game like a test match.
You were tagged on social by Harry Kane when his team played cricket at their training HQ. Do you ever play other sports between training sessions?
We used to play football between training sessions but then we had a few injuries from that, so it got knocked on the head. Golf is a big part of team bonding when we're all away, we'll play golf a lot. My official handicap is 10 but I get forced to play off eight by the England lads. Jimmy [Anderson] is the best, he’s off four or something.
Red Bull put you through your paces at a shipyard in Sunderland in a training day to remember in 2019. Any standout memories from it?
It was full-on. Doing the whole thing was hard, because every time they filmed me I felt flat-out, and having to do that 20 or 30 times meant I was knackered by the end of it. But it was a great day, the finished film looked incredible. I really enjoyed doing that.
Ben Stokes has become one of England's top players
© Richie Hopson/Red Bull Content Pool
How do you motivate yourself?
My motivation is to improve in all aspects of what I do, whether that’s my fitness levels or skill levels on the field. The key is to make sure you enjoy it, everything you do. The best thing about cricket is that as long as you have fun you’ll work hard.
What do coaches do tactically to talk about opponents before big matches?
Every team has a different way of doing it, but the way England do it is to make all the data available for us, and that if we want to use those facilities in our own time then we can. Before games we'll also be given iPads with footage on them, areas of the game to be aware of, and have a chat with the coaching staff. Then again, we play these teams so often that we basically know them like the back of our hands anyway.
Ben Stokes
© Greg Coleman | Red Bull Content Pool
Can you remember the last time the video analysis helped you bowl someone out, for instance?
Ah yeah, it happens all the time as you see people’s weakness and how they got out previously, for instance. Video analysis has always been around since I started playing the game. It’s progressed but not where I’ve noticed a huge difference.
Do you ever do mat work to practise those insane catches?
No, it’s just on the field. All those low chance catches that we come across in matches, we go for those in training all the time. It's all about practise, practise, and practise...