Ben Stokes, the captain of England during the Test matches, recently stated how excited he is to play white-ball cricket again under new coach Brendon McCullum.
Ben Stokes, the captain of England during the Test matches, recently stated how excited he is to play white-ball cricket again under new coach Brendon McCullum. The former New Zealander, who enjoyed success in the longest format of the game with Stokes, is currently getting ready to captain England’s limited-overs teams.
Stokes, who notably announced his retirement from ODI cricket in 2022 due to burnout, appears to be willing to change his mind at this time. Speaking at the third ODI at Chester-le-Street, Stokes discussed his relationship with the Kiwi and his experience playing white-ball under McCullum.
Should I answer the phone? And [Baz] asks, “Do you want to come play?” Of course, the answer will be yes, but if not, I won’t be too disappointed because I can simply watch while everyone else goes out and gets hit on. The white-ball team has an excellent opportunity to see what Baz has accomplished for the Test team. Stokes told Sky Sports: “He’s an incredible coach who speaks with complete commitment.” It’s good to have all three teams conveying the same idea and having the same attitudes about cricket.
I’m pleased with my accomplishments in that format: Ben Stokes
Joe Root and Stokes are both being considered for the white-ball squads, as England’s selector Luke Wright suggested at recently, with the Champions Trophy 2025 coming up in February. Stokes is an invaluable asset to any squad because of his remarkable limited-overs cricket record, which includes two World Cup final match-winning efforts.
I’ve been an England white-ball cricket player for a long time, and I’m proud of my accomplishments there. However, to be completely honest, we haven’t even discussed anything like similar. He continued, “I think he’s just letting me focus on what I need to focus on, especially around the Test team.”
Stokes is open to making a return, but he is still focused on the success of the Test team. Praiseing the development of new players in the white-ball setup, he singled out Jacob Bethell as a potential superstar.
But Stokes’ primary priority right now is getting fully healthy for the impending Test series in Pakistan. Stokes is hopeful that he will make a full recovery despite missing the Sri Lanka series because of a hamstring issue.
I’m feeling great, but tomorrow is my six-and-a-half-week scan, so that will tell us more. The southpaw said, “It’s taken a week or two longer because it was a hamstring tear that just went undetected into my tendon. But my rehab went really well, so hopefully tomorrow everything gets the all-clear and we can start pushing it a bit more.”
The first Test of England’s visit to Pakistan is scheduled to start at Multan on October 7. The team will have to contend with the pitch’s characteristics as well as the possibility of a faster-paced strategy from the hosts.
