England Test captain Ben Stokes has expressed his willingness to return to limited-overs cricket after recovering from knee surgery. Despite announcing his retirement from one-day internationals after last year’s Under-50 World Cup, the all-rounder has hinted at the possibility of a comeback.
Stokes, who opted out of England’s World T20 campaign earlier this year, mentioned during an interview with Sky Sports that he is open to resuming his white-ball career if the opportunity arises. “When they ring me: Do you want to come play?” It will definitely be a ‘yes’,” said the 33-year-old.
Discussing England’s emerging white-ball team, Stokes praised upcoming talents such as Jacob Bethell, who he described as a future superstar. Stokes has been instrumental in England’s previous successes, playing match-winning roles in the 2019-50 World Cup as well as the 2022 T20 World Cup final.
While happy with his achievements in limited-overs cricket, Stokes remains excited about the prospect of a comeback. However, he emphasized that he would not be disappointed if others excelled in his absence.
Stokes is currently recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for the Northern Superchargers and missed England’s recent Test series win over Sri Lanka.
He is scheduled for a scan to assess his recovery ahead of England’s Test tour of Pakistan next month. While he feels positive about his progress, Stokes remained cautious about his fitness to bowl, saying: “The rehab has gone really well, but there’s a lot more to it than just my hamstring to be able to play again.” As England’s cricketing future unfolds, Stokes’ potential return adds an exciting dimension to the team’s evolving landscape.
