England cricket team all-rounder Ben Stokes has indicated that he was willing to come out of retirement from the white-ball formats. The Test skipper’s hint at a potential U-turn comes after the ECB named Brendon McCullum as the side’s coach for ODIs and T20Is from 2025. Currently, Stokes is a Test-only player and has enjoyed enormous success along with Baz as the red-ball coach.
Ben Stokes to come out of white-ball retirement?
Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes said that he wouldn’t mind being a part of the white-ball teams going forward. The all-rounder said that his response would be an instant yes if he will be asked to play ODIs or T20Is under McCullum.
“If I am part of the white-ball teams’ plans going forward in any way, shape or form then great. If I get the call, saying ‘do you want to come and play?’ It’s definitely going to be a ‘yes’,” said Stokes.
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Ben Stokes had intially announced his retirement from ODIs in 2022. He then decided to skip participation in the T20 World Cup, wanting to focus on his Test career only. His last appearance in an ODI came in the 2023 World Cup.
McCullum set to become England’s all-format coach
Brendon McCullum will take over as the all-format coach starting from January 2025. The move comes after England’s white-ball coach, Matthew Motts, resigned following a horrible ODI World Cup 2023 and underwhelming T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
With three major ICC events coming (ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, T20 World Cup in 2026, and ODI World Cup in 2027), the ECB decided that it’s the right time to announce McCullum as the all-format coach.
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