Former England captain Ben Stokes is set to return to One-Day International (ODI) cricket after ending his retirement from the format.
Stokes retired from ODI cricket after admitting that the physical and mental demands of the game had become too much. He said he had “no more fight left” to keep performing at the high standards he expected of himself.
Now, the experienced all-rounder is back and hopes to help England in their upcoming matches.
Before returning to international cricket, Stokes will play for Durham against Derbyshire on Tuesday in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. It will be his first domestic 50-over match in 12 years.
Stokes has been one of England’s best players for many years. He played a key role in helping England win the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, where he was named Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand. He also helped England win the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
Before returning to the England team, the 35-year-old missed the second Test while police investigated an incident at a nightclub in London.
During his time away from international cricket, the all-rounder played for Durham in a County Championship match against Northamptonshire to regain match fitness.
Stokes spoke to the media and said he had developed “negative feelings” about playing for England.
“Being back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back.
“I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to playing for my boyhood club Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week – right now I am buzzing.
“But there have been moments this week that have been really tough and it just adds to everything and it makes it clear that I’ve made the right decision.”
