Ben Stokes and other members of England’s Cricket World Cup-winning squad have been recognised in a New Year Honours list which also features a large contingent of female sports stars and administrators.
All-rounder Stokes has been awarded an OBE after he grabbed the headlines in a dramatic summer of cricket. He scored an unbeaten 84 as England became world champions with victory over New Zealand in July, and followed it up six weeks later with a match-winning 135 not out in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Eoin Morgan, who captained the team to World Cup glory, has been made a CBE while wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and England’s top run-scorer in the tournament and Test skipper Joe Root have both been given MBEs.
“Standing here now, I think I’ve got 146 caps for England, so I’m glad I made that decision not to quit.”
There is also an MBE for Lizzie Jones, who founded the Danny Jones Defibrillator Fund in memory of her husband who died from an undiagnosed heart condition during a rugby league match.
Two of the biggest names in horse racing, trainers Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson, have both been awarded OBEs.
Nicholls has been jump racing’s champion trainer 11 times, while Henderson has achieved the same feat five times.
Former Northern Ireland football captain Aaron Hughes, who won 112 caps for his country, has been awarded an MBE.
