Newcomer Ben Stokes brushes aside comparisons with Flintoff

London: England newcomer Ben Stokes has brushed aside comparisons with former captain Andrew Flintoff, saying he does not want to base himself on anyone else.

The 20-year-old made his One-day International debut against Ireland in last week`s low-key encounter in Dublin. The left-hander is a big striker of the ball, besides being a medium-pacer with potential to get quicker, leading many to tip him as the new Flintoff, the best all rounder England had in the recent times. Stokes, who has been included in the England squad for Wednesday`s one-off Twenty20 International and the subsequent five ODIs against India, however, is not willing to be drawn into comparisons. "I am my own person, I don`t want to base myself on someone else," the Durham youngster was quoted as saying in a daily. "I guess we are the same - we bat and we bowl - but I don`t want to base myself on anyone else." A product of the impressive Durham Academy, Stokes shone in his first full season of county cricket last year and has continued to make an impression in 2011. A finger injury, however, will restrict him to play against India as a specialist batsman only. "I had a bad break in my finger and a dislocation," he said. "I had two operations on it and was out for eight or nine weeks. "It was pretty frustrating, especially given how well I thought I was playing before I did it. "I am not 100 per cent fit to bowl yet but I will keep on getting treatment. Hopefully as time goes by it will get easier." IANS