“I’m retired”, Ben Stokes wont be coming out of retirement for ICC World Cup 2023.

England’s red-ball captain, Ben Stokes, announced his retirement from One Day Internationals in 2022 to manage his workload effectively. While there were speculations about his possible return ahead of the ODI World Cup in India starting on October 5, 2023, Stokes clarified that he has no plans to make a comeback.

Stokes has been a pivotal player for England in recent years, contributing significantly to the team’s victories in the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. His absence would undoubtedly be felt, and his involvement would have boosted England’s chances in the upcoming mega event.

Stokes said “I’m retired. I’m going on holiday after this game [fifth Ashes Test] and that’s as far as I’m thinking.” 

However, Stokes explained that he intends to take a break and go on a holiday after the Ashes series. He also admitted that he hasn’t been able to perform at his full potential as an all-rounder during the Ashes due to a persistent knee issue, which has prevented him from bowling since the second Test. Post-Ashes, Stokes plans to have serious discussions with doctors to find a solution to the knee problem so that he can bowl freely without any worries.

Stokes added “It’s something I obviously want to get sorted. The times in which I’ve seen specialists and stuff like that there has been cricket around. So, as it’s been manageable, we’ve just cracked on. But I think that is a good time to have some serious conversations with medics around what is potentially something I could do to get a role in which I can bowl without having to worry about my knee. Those are conversations we will be able to have in hat time off.”