England Test captain Ben Stokes says he might consider returning to national white-ball teams, but only if coach Brendon McCullum wants him to. No formal discussions have yet taken place, however. For now, focusing on getting into shape for the Test series in Pakistan, Stokes said he probably would be willing to return to the white-ball fold if McCullum had such plans.
Ben Stokes Likely To Return Back In White-Ball Format
Ben Stokes has been one of the star players in England's white-ball team. He was part of the team that faced New Zealand in the final of the 2019 World Cup in Lord's and the one that faced Australia in the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne. Since then, he was just seen in 2023 ODI World Cup in India. England selector Luke Wright recently stated that both Stokes and Joe Root are still in the running for the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled for February 2025.
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Stokes had retired from ODI cricket last year citing burnout concerns due to an overly congested international schedule and he had also left the recently concluded T20 World Cup in order to undergo knee surgery. But the relationship that McCullum shares with Stokes, built in their years together in the Test side, makes them better suited to returning across formats, if it aligns with the needs of the white-ball format.
Ben Stokes & Brendon McCullum's Bond
"It's an amazing opportunity for the white-ball team to experience what Baz [McCullum] has brought to the Test team," Stokes told Sky Sports during the third ODI at Chester-le-Street. "He's an incredible coach who speaks with utter commitment, and it's nice to have all three teams now with the same messaging and philosophies towards cricket."
While Stokes himself said he was open to a comeback, he also emphasized that he is focusing more on other areas.
"I've played a lot of white-ball cricket for England, and I'm very happy with what I've achieved in that form of the game," he added. "But to be honest, we've not even spoken about anything like that whatsoever. I think he's just letting me concentrate on what I need to concentrate on, especially around the Test team."
Stokes To Focus More On Test Cricket
Stokes will, for the immediate future, concentrate more on the Test side as they prepare for a tour of Pakistan that promises to be one of the most grueling schedules for them. Last December under his and McCullum's management, England went for history books by winning 3-0 in a series in Pakistan. While they are about to face a three-Test series again, all attention will be towards Stokes as to whether he would help the team perform accordingly again.
Ben Stokes Record:
ODIs- 3463 runs in 114 matches, this includes 5 centuries and 24 half centuries.
T20Is- 585 runs in 43 matches, this includes just one half century