England Test skipper Ben Stokes has dropped an indication of returning to the white ball set-up of the England cricket team following Brendon Mcullum's appointment as head coach in all three formats.
Speaking to Espncricinfo he said, “If I get the call and [Baz] says, ‘do you want to come and play?’ Then obviously, it’s definitely going to be a yes, but I’m not going to be too disappointed if I don’t, because I can just sit back and watch everyone else go out and smack it,”
Despite battling a series of injuries and undergoing knee surgery that will keep him out of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Stokes remains hopeful about his future in white-ball cricket.
His strong relationship with McCullum, forged during their time together in the Test squad, has made Stokes more open to a potential return across formats, as long as it aligns with the evolving needs of the white-ball team.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for the white-ball team to benefit from what Baz [McCullum] has brought to the Test side,” Stokes said. “He’s an outstanding coach who speaks with complete dedication, and it’s great to see all three teams unified under the same messaging and philosophies in cricket.”
Ben Stokes give update on knee injury
Stokes missed England's recent 2-1 Test series victory over Sri Lanka due to a hamstring tear.He is scheduled for a scan today to evaluate his recovery before England's upcoming three-match Test tour in Pakistan next week.
He said, "I've got my six-and-a-half week scan tomorrow, so we'll know more from that, but I'm feeling really good. It was a hamstring tear that just sneaked into my tendon, so that's why it's taken a week or two longer, but my rehab has gone really well, so hopefully tomorrow everything gets the all-clear, and we can start pushing it a bit more."
England's Test side, led by Stokes and McCullum, made headlines last December with a historic 3-0 sweep in Pakistan. As they prepare for another three-Test series in the country, all eyes will be on whether Stokes can help replicate that success.
