Stokes set for knighthood after Cup heroics

Ben Stokes is set to become Sir Ben Stokes for his World Cup heroics after the two contenders to be the next prime minister of the UK said they would give the allrounder a knighthood.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, one of whom will replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May later this month, were asked during a debate on Monday if they would give Stokes a knighthood.

Johnson, the frontrunner for the role, replied: "I will give dukedoms, whatever - I will go to the maximum, to, what, the Garter King of Arms. Yes is the answer, absolutely".

When the question was put to Hunt, he replied succinctly: "Of course".

Their answers came during a series of rapid-fire series of 'yes or no' questions at the end of the leadership debate, hosted by The Sun and talkRADIO.

Eleven Englishmen have been knighted for services to cricket, the most recent of which was former Test and ODI skipper, Sir Alastair Cook.

The 28-year-old Stokes missed the 2017-18 Ashes after he was investigated for an incident in Bristol that left a man in hospital with facial injuries. He was later found not guilty of affray.

May offered her thanks to the triumphant team at a reception at 10 Downing Street on Monday after their nail-biting win over New Zealand in Sunday's final.

After the diverse team joked they had not only the luck of the Irish but Allah on their side, May praised the encapsulation of modern Britain in the winning squad.

"The final was not just cricket at its best but sport at its best - courage, character, sportsmanship, drama, incredible skill and even the odd slice of luck," she said.

"You are a team that represents modern Britain, and that plays like no other side in the world.

"You have helped the nation fall in love with cricket once again. You have inspired countless future Morgans, Rashids and Archers."

Cheers and car horns greeted the squad on Whitehall as they arrived by bus for the meeting, with captain Eoin Morgan leading his players along Downing Street to meet the PM.

May shook hands with the squad, including star West Indian-born bowler Jofra Archer and allrounder Stokes.

She then posed for photos with the team, wearing their official England shirts, and held aloft the World Cup trophy with the help of Morgan.

Spinner Rashid, one of two British-born Muslims in the squad, had assured teammates that Allah was on their side, according to Irish-born captain Morgan.

"I spoke to Adil, he said Allah was definitely with us. I said we had the rub of the green," Morgan said on Sunday.

"It actually epitomises our team. It has quite diverse backgrounds and cultures ... to actually find humour in the situation that we were in at the time was pretty cool."