Ben Stokes, the Test captain for England, has expressed interest in coaching once he quits playing. The seam bowling all-rounder is of the opinion that he will hardly have a time when he is not associated with cricket.
At 33 years of age, he has made a name for himself as one of the finest all-rounders today. Stokes made his debut back in 2013 and has won two World Cups after playing major roles in England’s 2019 ODI and 2022 T20 World Cup victories. In addition, since his appointment as Test captain in 2022, he has lost only one series.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Stokes said:
“I can’t see myself being someone who when the day comes when I do stop playing, I’ll just not be involved with cricket. I do see myself probably wanting to go down the route of being a coach. And I think that’s just with my love for the game. When I’m done playing, I’d love to be able to try and affect a few people’s careers.”
With the Champions Trophy 2025 coming up, the veteran expressed interest in taking part although unsure about future with white-ball cricket. Stokes further indicated being proud of all he had accomplished throughout his white-ball career for England.
“It’s hard to turn down those sort of big events, isn’t it? If I didn’t play another white-ball game, I’ll be very content with how many games I’ve played and what I’ve been able to achieve. I don’t know what the plan is going forward, whether they see me being a part of that or not. I’m sure there’ll be some conversation at some point about that. And I’ll be happy either way,” he said.
Initially retiring from ODIs, the Durham all-rounder came back at this format before the 2023 World Cup. He wasn’t among those who bowled during this tournament but batted quite well. This World Cup was also the last time Stokes represented England wearing any colored clothing.
“Each Ashes series is a unique event and occasion on its own”- Ben Stokes
As preparation for next year’s Ashes tour, a prominent cricketer from England has indicated that they will opt for a clean slate but also indicated that there would be no compromises made regarding selection criteria. This is what he said to the Telegraph:
“I don’t think we’ll be heading there with that feeling of, ‘Oh, we’ve got unfinished business because of the last time. Every Ashes series is its own event, its own occasion. It’s just giving ourselves the best opportunity to be able to pick a squad that we think is going to give us the best chance of winning out in Australia. We definitely know what we want.”
“When it comes to Australia, we’re basically not leaving any stone unturned. That doesn’t mean we’re going to win it. We’re going out there to hopefully win, but it’s just about picking the 15 or 16 blokes to give us the best chance of winning.”
England has not possessed the Ashes urn since the 2015 series.
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