For the first time since announcing his international retirement, Ben Stokes will be in action on Tuesday, July 21, when Durham take on Derbyshire in the opening round of the One-Day Cup. It will be his first appearance in the format since the ODI World Cup 2023. He decided to return to domestic cricket to keep playing competitive cricket and also remains available for any opportunity to participate in overseas leagues.ย
Before representing his boyhood club again, Stokes said he rediscovered his enjoyment of cricket but doesnโt have the same feeling for playing for England again. Meanwhile, this is not the first time Stokes will be seen playing for Durham this season. After the infamous nightclub incident following the first Test against New Zealand, the all-rounder featured against Northamptonshire during the County Championship, which gave him a chance to reconnect with the game away from the England setup.
โBeing back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back. I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to playing for my boyhood club Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week – right now I am buzzing. But there have been moments this week that have been really tough and it just adds to everything and it makes it clear that I’ve made the right decision,โ Stokes was quoted as saying by BBC.
Stokes previously opted out of The Hundred
As things stand, Stokes could also represent Durham in the County Championship before the end of the season. Meanwhile, his return to Durham will be marked on the same day as the beginning of The Hundred. The marquee tournament enters a new phase this year after investors bought stakes in the eight franchises for over 5730 crore. The move has brought changes to team branding, names of the franchises and better revenue for the players.
Stokes, however, will not feature in the tournament after opting out of the auction. He had already been scheduled to play for Durham in the One-Day Cup before announcing his international retirement.
Now, because of The Hundred, the 35-year-old could feature at several smaller grounds during Durham’s campaign. The county has home fixtures planned at South Northumberland Cricket Club in Gosforth and Darlington Cricket Club, while the match against Yorkshire will be played at York Cricket Club.ย
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