World Cup 2023: Ben Stokes pondering on ODI retirement once again due to commitments in Test cricket (2024)

Kolkata,UPDATED: Nov 12, 2023 10:40 IST

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has once again stirred the pot about his retirement from ODI cricket. Speaking to Sky Sports after England's final match in the World Cup 2023, Stokes said that he would have to think hard about his future in 50-over cricket due to a busy season of Test cricket next year.

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Stokes is set to have a surgery on his knee after World Cup 2023 and expects to be back in England's Test tour of India in January 2024. Due to his Test commitments, Stokes said that he is not sure if he would be continuing in the ODI format, which he had originally left in 2022 citing workload issues.

"I think to answer that one it goes back to my initial reason for stepping away from this format, to ease my workload. As Test captain, there is a lot of stuff coming up. There's a lot of stuff that I want to do with that Test team. It will be a decision that I'm probably going to have to think about, quite hard, to produce an outcome. You never know the body might be in a lot better position than it was in the last 18 months," Stokes told Sky Sports after the match about his chances of retiring.

"When you look at the personnel that we have available it is very, very exciting and it's very, very good. In terms of this group, that's a decision that isn't up to me. But I think everybody knows the class that the dressing room has. I think they'll just have to do some kind of discussion, from the top, and see where people go," the all-rounder lauded the England side despite their early exit from the tournament.

Ben Stokes had made headlines in 2022 when he announced his retirement from ODI cricket. The decision was not sudden but a result of careful deliberation. Stokes cited the physical and mental demands of playing across all three formats as the primary reason for his retirement. Additionally, he was grappling with a chronic left knee injury that further complicated his situation.

Stokes' retirement came as a shock to many, given his significant contributions to England's cricket team. He had been instrumental in England's World Cup victory in 2019, earning the title of Player of the Match in the final.

Despite his retirement, speculation about Stokes' return to ODI cricket began to circulate in 2023. These rumors were confirmed on August 16, 2023, when it was announced that Stokes would come out of ODI retirement. This decision was made despite his ongoing knee issues, which had prevented him from participating in England's warm-up game against Bangladesh in Guwahati.

Stokes' return to ODI cricket was not without its challenges. He experienced a setback when he heard his left hip "pop" during a gym session at the Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati. This incident led him to fear that his participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup might be jeopardised. However, Stokes managed to recover from this injury and was set to make his return against South Africa.

Stokes' comeback was marked by his determination to contribute to England's performance in the 2023 World Cup. Despite his previous statement about the unsustainable nature of playing in all three formats, Stokes was included in the preliminary squad that England announced for the World Cup. However, it was expected that his bowling appearances would be rare, given his ongoing knee issues.