Ben Stokes becoming injured at the start of the 2010 season meant that Stokes continued playing in all forms of the game for Durham. Having had a very successful debut season in first-class cricket he was given a place in the England Performance Programme and travelled to Australia during the 2010–11 Ashes. On 2 January 2015, Stokes joined the Melbourne Renegades of Australia's Big Bash League for the remainder of the season as a replacement for Jesse Ryder, who was ruled out through injury. On 13 February 2017, Stokes was appointed vice-captain of England's test team, deputising under Joe Root, who was
Pappy Stokes only years that Stokes was absent during that span were 1943–46, when he served in the US military. Willie Stokes was the youngest caddie to ever be "on the bag" for a win at the Masters—age 17 during the 1938 tournament with Henry Picard. Stokes went on to win four more times in 1948 with Claude Harmon, 1951 and 1953 with Ben Hogan, and 1956 with Jack Burke, Jr., for a record number of five wins with four different champions which still stands at the Augusta National Jack Burke, Jr. said he was never comfortable taking advice from a caddie