New England Test skipper Ben Stokes has labelled Ben Foakes the 'best wicketkeeper in the world' after the 29-year-old took some fine catches and then batted patiently to guide the hosts to a five-wicket victory over the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
Foakes' survival at the crease was crucial in the opening session on Day 4 of the Test as England had lost five wickets on Day 3 and they were still quite a few runs away from securing a win. With New Zealand also fancying their chances of victory, the wicketkeeper-batter gave company to a well-set Joe Root (115 not out) to take England over the line with an unbeaten 32.
Stokes backed Foakes ahead of the second Test at Nottingham from June 10, saying, "We're not in the position to not select world-class players at the moment. Ben (Foakes) is the best wicketkeeper in the world. "That's not just my own opinion, that's a lot of people's opinions.
Batting at seven, which he does for England, is different from the role that he plays for Surrey because he bats higher up," Stokes was quoted as saying by mirror.co.uk. "But that situation of going in last night, for 45 minutes, was a very, very big part in the game, and he handled it very, very well.
The way he kept he took some catches which he made look very easy but they weren't. "To have a gloveman like Ben (Foakes) behind the stumps gives me a lot of confidence, and it gives the bowlers a lot of confidence, knowing that nine times out of 10, he's going to take everything that comes to him," opined Stokes.
The England Test skipper also hoped that Foakes would get better with time. "He's only going to get better with the more confidence that he gets, and as I said, he's the best keeper in the world and it's great to have him behind the stumps," added Stokes.
Foakes' return to the Test side was facilitated by Jos Buttler's forgettable Ashes series. Buttler was dropped from the three-Test Caribbean tour following the 0-4 drubbing England got in Australia and Foakes came back, partnering Root in the Lord's Test where the duo stitched together an unbeaten 120-run partnership.