England’s Test captain Ben Stokes won everyone’s heart with his noble gesture as he announced that he would be donating his entire match fees from the upcoming Test series against Pakistan to the Flood Relief Appeal for the country. Earlier this year, Pakistan was hit by devastating floods, which is estimated to have killed more than 1,700 people and affected more than 3.3 crore people in Pakistan, as per Reuters.
The Ben Stokes-led England cricket team will be playing a Test series in Pakistan after a long gap of 17 years. England last played a Test match on Pakistan soil in the year 2005, which they lost by 2-0. However, England played a seven-match T20I series in the country here in September-October, which they won by 4-3.
On Monday, Ben Stokes took to his social media and shared a lengthy note announcing his decision to donate his entire match fees from the upcoming Test series against Pakistan. His statement read:
“It is great to be in Pakistan for the first time for this historic series. To be back here after 17 years as a Test side is very exciting. There is a sense of responsibility amongst the playing and support group and to be there is special.”
“The floods that devastated Pakistan earlier this year were very sad to see and have had a significant impact on the country and the people. The game has given me a lot in my life and I feel it’s only right to give something back that goes far beyond cricket.”
“I will be donating my match fees from this Test series to the Pakistan flood appeal. Hopefully, this donation can go towards the rebuilding of areas of Pakistan most affected by the flooding,”
In another Tweet, Ben Stokes also shared a link to the Pakistan Flood appeal, which is a fundraiser set up by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) in the United Kingdom. The fundraiser urges people to donate money in order to rebuild the lives of people affected by the devastating floods in the country.
Check out his Tweet:
I’m donating my match fees from this Test series to the Pakistan Flood appeal ❤️🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/BgvY0VQ2GG
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) November 28, 2022
Meanwhile, the upcoming three-match Test series between Pakistan and England is very crucial as it is a part of the ICC World Test Championship’s cycle. The series is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi (December 1-5), Multan (December 9-13), and Karachi (December 17-21). Notably, the upcoming Test series will be Pakistan’s 5th Test series in the only World Test Championship cycle. Their last series of the cycle will be against New Zealand at home in December 2022 and January 2023.
On the other hand, talking about England, the three-match Test series will be England’s final appearance in the ongoing WTC cycle. England is currently ranked 7th and Pakistan is in the 5th position.
