England Men’s Cricket Managing Director Rob Key has given a major update on Ben Stokes’ future in white-ball cricket, and it seems a comeback does not seem imminent in the immediate future. On a podcast, shared by the Sky Sports Cricket X handle, Key clarified that the priority at the moment is to get Stokes fully fit and bowling at full capacity again in Test cricket.
I don’t see him playing white-ball cricket in the near future,” Key said. “The big thing with Ben at the moment is getting him back up. Our bowling coach, Neil Killeen, has been spending a lot of time with him lately, and he’s bowling at about 75 percent at the moment. That’s our priority — getting him back to full speed.
"I can't see him playing in the immediate future" 👀
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) April 10, 2025
ECB managing director Rob Key on the white-ball future of Ben Stokes 🏴 pic.twitter.com/2D0yWokdAa
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Stokes has played no competitive cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup — a tournament he returned to after reversing his white-ball retirement. His focus has since been on red-ball cricket, and England is hoping to get him back into his all-rounder’s role — not only as captain and batter, but also as a vital pace option.
Key realized that new white-ball captain Harry Brook would love to have a player of Stokes’ quality in the limited-overs team. But for that to be possible, Stokes must be at the top of his game physically and playing at his best.
“Our focus right now is the upcoming Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge starting May 22,” Key added. “That’s what we’re working toward — having him fit and firing in that full all-rounder role.”
Looking further ahead, Key didn’t rule out the possibility of Stokes being considered for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“If everything goes well, sure, the T20 World Cup is a possibility. But it’s too early to make that call,” he said. “There’s a lot of cricket between now and then. No one is out of contention — if you’re fit, performing, and one of the best players in the country, you’ll be considered. That’s what Harry [Brook] wants — the best team possible.”
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