England Test captain Ben Stokes expressed his willingness to return to the limited-overs cricket after recovering from knee surgery.
Despite announcing his retirement from one-day internationals after last year's 50-over World Cup, the all-rounder hinted at the possibility of making a comeback.
Stokes, who opted out of England's T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, mentioned during a Sky Sports interview that he is open to resuming his white-ball career, should the opportunity arise. "If I get the call, saying, 'Do you want to come and play?' It's definitely going to be a 'yes'," said the 33-year-old.
While discussing England’s evolving white-ball team, Stokes praised upcoming talents such as Jacob Bethell, whom he referred to as a future superstar. Stokes has been instrumental in England's previous successes, playing match-winning roles in both the 2019-50 World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup finals.
Despite being content with his achievements in limited-overs cricket, Stokes remains enthusiastic about the possibility of a return. However, he emphasized that he wouldn't be disappointed if others excelled in his absence.
Currently recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for the Northern Superchargers, Stokes missed England's recent Test series win over Sri Lanka. He is scheduled for a scan to assess his recovery ahead of England's Test tour of Pakistan next month.
While he feels positive about his progress, Stokes remained cautious about his readiness to bowl, stating, "Rehab has gone really well, but there's a lot more than just my hamstring to get back firing for bowling."
As England's cricket future unfolds, Stokes' potential return adds an exciting dimension to the squad's evolving landscape.
