Ben Stokes is now the English Test captain and is retired from ODIs. Meanwhile, he has revealed his status for IPL 2023, besides suggesting how the ODI format can be made better and more exciting.
The origin of multiple Twenty20 (T20) leagues might have led to a paradigm shift in preferences for some leading international cricketers. Still, England Test skipper Ben Stokes is categorical that his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will depend on England's international calendar. Stokes, considered one of the world's ushering all-rounders, has already quit the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) to maintain a better work-life balance. Nothing seems to be more essential for him than wearing pristine whites.
IPL 2023 participation
"It is a case of looking at schedules and what we have coming up. But, as I have made it very clear, Test cricket is at the forefront of my mind, and all of my time decisions will be based on Test matches. Now, being the captain, I have the responsibility to do that," Stokes told PTI in an exclusive interview.
The 31-year-old Stokes has achieved 5,320 runs and about200 wickets (185) in 84 Tests. IPL is an "amazing tournament", but he will only feature in it if his jam-packed schedule allows him to. "I've played in the IPL for four years. I've loved it every time I've been there. It's a fantastic competition to be part of, not just for the spectacle of the IPL, but the opportunity to work with the best players in the world and some of the best coaches."
"It is just an amazing experience to be involved in, but as I said, there is a schedule to be looked at around the window of the IPL," Stokes reaffirmed. He then explained why it is difficult for England players to feature in the IPL. "As England cricketers, our schedule is jam-packed, and we seem to be playing all year around. I think our summer is everybody's winter, and when our winter comes along, it is everybody's summer. So, people are coming here to play or touring to play cricket."
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Maybe we can think of 40 over ODIs
With Cricket South Africa's (CSA's) new T20 league and United Arab Emirate's (UAE's) International League T20 (ILT20), starting next year, the international bilateral calendar is increasingly becoming chaotic. At the same time, the relevance of ODIs has also been questioned.
A case in point has to be Stokes' decision to retire from the format in which he played 105 games, nearly amassing 3,000 runs and grabbing 74 wickets, including a top score of 102 during the 2019 ICC World Cup final at Lord's. "It is a great question at the moment with how much cricket is being played worldwide," he answered another PTI query.
"The last thing anybody wants is a format. I don't know, be taken away from people. Maybe, there is a way ICC can look at. Maybe, restructuring the schedule or redoing the format," added Stoked. Like 'The Hundred' lives alongside T20, Stokes suggested trying out the 40-over one-dayers, prevalent in the English county circuit with a tournament called pro-40, played some years back.
"You look at England now with 'The Hundred', they are making a completely new format, but that still goes alongside the T20 version. Something can be looked at. It is my personal view that they could look at maybe turning 50 overs into 40 overs. When I first started playing professional cricket, there was CB40, which was a perfect play format. Nowadays, it would just be an extended version of T20 cricket, and I think you would end up seeing the same scores in 40 overs that you do in 50 overs."
Stokes believes 40-overs-per-side could be the solution for ODIS as we advance. "Because there is so much cricket, is there a way that schedule and formats can be looked at to keep the three formats still, but maybe less cricket? I think that can be a solution if you look at 40 overs than 50 overs."
Stokes wants the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to put some thought into it. "I think there needs to be a lot of thought put into it, but the last thing you want for the sport is that a certain format is completely chucked away."
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The decision to retire from ODIs
The decision to let go of the ODIs was a "tough one" for Stokes. Yet, his gut feeling told him he needed to make that call to prolong his career. "It is a pretty tough decision, but at the same time, it was made easy for me. I always had it at the back of my mind that I would have to walk away from one of the white-ball formats. I just did not know which one, and I wasn't going to decide until I was clear in my mind which one it was."
The inner call came during the India ODI series, and the decision was quick. "You hear people who have retired from many things say 'when you know, you know'. So, after the first ODI against India at the Oval, when I finished that game, it was my moment of 'when you know, you know'. Almost hit me in the face just like that. As hard it was to know that I won't be playing this format anymore, it was also a decision that was made easy because of how quickly it hit me."
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Docu-series to focus on mental health
Stokes has had an eventful life with his share of controversies and unbelievable highs in his outstanding career. However, there was a point in his life when he felt down and comprehended that he needed to focus on his mental health other than living out of suitcases, which became exhausting for him.
So, was it hard making a documentary on himself where he had to speak on deeply personal things? "When people say how hard it was? No, it was not because when I decided, that is something I want to do, in terms of making a documentary. I specifically said that I don't want this documentary to be all about making myself look good. It is an opportunity to show the people I am. I think very rarely. Sportsmen can do that," Stokes said.
At times sportspersons are those alpha males who seem foolproof, and Stokes wouldn't mind his viewers getting a more up close and personal look in this docu-series. "Sportsmen are painted a picture of what people see on the TV, whether they are playing or in media. You rarely see them in their own space, where they are comfortable in the environment."
Stokes was evident with the makers that he wanted all aspects of his life covered. "I have had so many things happening to me in my career, not just cricket, but personal life. It has been a public thing, from T20 World Cup 2016 to the Bristol incident to the break I took because of my mental health. If I did not cover that, I thought I wouldn't be doing any justice."
(With inputs from PTI)