Ben Stokes denies possibility of returning for ODI World Cup
“I'm retired. I'm going on holiday after this game [fifth Ashes Test] and that's as far as I'm thinking,” he added.
Crickate
Ben Stokes, captain of England's red-ball team, has announced his retirement from One-Day Internationals in 2022 to manage his workload. However, there was optimism that the cricketer could return prior to the ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to commence in India on October 5.
Notably, Stokes has been a force to be reckoned with for England in recent years, helping the team win the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, and his participation in the 2023 major event would have only improved England's chances. The all-rounder clarified, however, that he has no intentions to return to ODI cricket and will instead take a vacation after the Ashes.
"I'm resigned. "I'm going on vacation after this game [the fifth Ashes Test], and that's all I'm thinking about," Stokes was quoted by ICC as saying.
Stokes also admitted that he is still unable to contribute to his maximum potential as an all-rounder, having not bowled in the ongoing Ashes series since the second Test due to a long-standing knee injury. The Durham all-rounder indicated that after the Ashes he will be able to have "serious conversations" with the doctors to resolve the issue and bowl without "worrying about my knee."
"It's undoubtedly something I want to resolve. When I've observed specialists and similar activities, there has been silence. As a result, as the situation has been manageable, we have moved forward. But I believe now is a good time to have meaningful discussions with doctors about what I could potentially do to secure a position in which I can bowl without worrying about my knee. We will be able to have these discussions during our time off," he said.
Stokes also expressed his desire to travel to Australia and win the Ashes in 2025, a feat he was unable to accomplish this year due to the rain-induced draw in Manchester.
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"Obviously, the way this series has gone and how close we've been makes you wonder if we have a better opportunity in Australia than the last few times we've been there. It would be great to go to Australia in 2025 with a strong chance of winning. It would be great to claim victory twice. There is clearly a great deal of cricket played around the Ashes, but we'll have to wait and see in 2025," Stokes said.
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