Ben Stokes\u2019 off-field behaviour won\u2019t be a talking point with Adelaide Strikers coach Tim Paine when the Englishman arrives in Australia for a Big Bash League stint.<\/p>\n
Stokes will be available for the Strikers for their entire BBL campaign this summer on a deal believed to worth $500,000<\/a>.<\/p>\n The former England captain has frequently attracted unwanted attention for his off-field behaviour, but Paine doesn\u2019t plan to raise the issue with the star allrounder.<\/p>\n Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I will be,\u201d Paine told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cBen\u2019s career has spanned over more than 15 years at the international level under intense scrutiny.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd whilst I\u2019m sure, like myself and many other people, we haven\u2019t got everything absolutely right 100 per cent of the time.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think on the whole over those 15 years he has been a terrific ambassador for cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n Paine, who quit as Australia\u2019s Test captain in 2021 in the wake of a sexting scandal with a former female colleague at Cricket Tasmania, expected the public to warm to Stokes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe character that he is, with the way he is off the field, it\u2019s something that I think people really relate to,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a really authentic type of person \u2014 what you see is what you get.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I think the Australian fans will really warm to his character and his personality.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we expect he will be a fantastic role model for our club and for our fans.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben Stokes officially signs lucrative deal with BBL team<\/p>\n 1 min read<\/p>\n