Star England all-rounder, Ben Stokes left the entire cricket fraternity shocked after the England Cricket Board (ECB) an indefinite break from the game. He has pulled out of the much-awaited Test series between India and England, in order to focus on his mental wellbeing and continue his recovery from a finger injury.
Well, it was just recently that Ben Stokes made his international comeback and led a second-string England side to a 3-0 victory over the Pakistan cricket team in ODIs. Following that, he was rested for the T20I series.
Later, he had to spend nearly 2 months away from the game as he suffered a broken finger in the opening game for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021. He then made his comeback for Durhan in domestic cricket and was asked to lead the England cricket team in the absence of regular players.
Meanwhile, the England Cricket Board announced the decision of Ben Stokes and supported his decision. The Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Mr. Ashley Giles said:
“Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing. Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this,”
He added:
“Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments over the last 16 months has had a major impact on everyone’s wellbeing. Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future.”
Also, there is no update on Stokes’ participation in the 2nd phase of IPL 2021, which will kickstart from September 19 in the UAE.
