Why Does Ben Stokes Wear Arm Covers?

Jun 19, 2023

Gurpreet Singh|Published July 06, 2023

Ben Stokes Is Often Spotted With His Arm Sleeves On While Fielding. (Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

England Test captain Ben Stokes has, for around a decade now, been spotted wearing arm covers/sleeves while on the field of play. Most often these sleeves cover both his arms, but on a few other occasions, he wears it solely on his right arm which also happens to be his bowling arm.

The arm sleeves are not something which the viewers, even the casual ones, are unaware of. While its more or less a rarity to spot cricketers wearing them in modern-day cricket, these sleeves were quite relevant even amongst the ones from the previous century for good enough reason(s).

Stokes, just like other cricketers, most likely wears the arm sleeves primarily for a couple of reasons. The most basic one is to protect the arm from getting grazed against the ground while fielding. Most often the elbows or the part of the arm below it is susceptible to injuries which can occur in the form of deep cuts or strains.

The other reason is to assist the arm(s) in performing better movement while bowling and throwing. The arm sleeves provides the required pressure on that part of the body and helps in increasing blood flow and circulation to the exercising muscle.

Along with Stokes, his fellow teammate and fast bowler Jofra Archer is often seen wearing these sleeves while bowling. Despite the advantages and utilities of wearing these arm sleeves, some players do find these uncomfortable and sometimes troublesome as these provide a tight fit to the arm.

Thus, it all perhaps boils down to how these sleeves work for the better from player to player. The likes of Stokes and Archer probably consistently wear them as they might have helped them in achieving the desired results or performing better on the field.

A durable pair of high quality elastic material arm sleeves can be purchased for a sum ranging between INR 400-500 in India. However, the ones who just require them in order to prevent getting injured or simply for protection against sun burns can opt for comparatively cheaper ones as well.

Readers must note that the cheaper ones can be bought at half the price and are unlikely to be durable apart from there being issues with the fitting. Moreover, the inferior quality elastic will soon loosen the grip around your arms. Thus, it is advisable to spend some extra bucks and opt for the ones which tend to be comfortable for a decent amount of time.

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About the author

Gurpreet Singh

Even before persuing his post-graduate diploma in English journalism from IIMC, Gurpreet was certain that Cricket had to be the driving force to keep him sane and optimistic in all life-related matters.Hailing from Ranchi and having represented Jharkhand at the Under-14 level, he believes that the more you keep digging in while understanding the nitty-gritty of a sport, the more humble you become with the realisation that you hardly know anything!

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