England cricket chief Rob Key has not ruled out a dramatic international return for former Test captain Ben Stokes after his surprise retirement announcement in late June.
Key, the managing director of men's cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), spoke a day after the board confirmed Stephen Fleming as the new head coach of the Test team.
The appointment of former New Zealand captain Fleming, along with Joe Root's return as Test captain, follows a difficult period for England cricket.
Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand, in which the visitors secured a 2-1 series victory.
The Durham all-rounder, aged 35, had been left out of the second Test after breaking a team curfew at a London nightclub, adding to a number of off-field issues involving England players.
Two weeks later, Brendon McCullum was removed as England's red-ball coach, ending the "Bazball" era of attacking Test cricket that he had led with Stokes.
McCullum, another former New Zealand captain, remains in charge of England's white-ball teams.
Speaking at Lord's on Friday, Key said he would not dismiss the possibility of Stokes making a return, especially with the home Ashes series against Australia scheduled for 2027.
Asked whether Fleming had raised the idea, Key said it had not been discussed yet but described a Stokes comeback as "a great story".
Key said Stokes had not indicated any change of mind but added that "anything's possible with Ben".
He said no relationship had been damaged and that "no bridges have been burned" over Stokes' decision.
Fleming will arrive in Britain in September and will not take charge of England's three-Test series against Pakistan, which begins in August.
Key dismissed concerns about Fleming's delayed arrival, saying the main priority was choosing the best candidate for the role.
He said being available for the Pakistan series was not a requirement for applicants and that making it necessary would have greatly reduced the number of possible candidates.
