Who knows what cricket will look like in perhaps two years? says England Test captain
Ben Stokes has called for more player type over the international plan, back of an overloaded 12-month time for England's crimson- and white-ball attributes.
Speaking ahead of the third and final Check against West Indies, England's Test captain reiterated his long-held accusations of a crowded device record, further complicated by the increase of brand cricket. Having recently worried about its effect on the quality of cricket, Stokes is afraid of the negative effects it could have on the growth of England team as a whole.
While Stokes ' focus is on building towards the Ashes in the winter of 2025-26, the limited-overs set-up is looking towards a new sunrise, with a decision to be made immediately on the future of head coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler. Such are the pledges forward for both teams, it is extremely unlikely that each will advance at a comparable price.
The Test team will meet again for a three-game series against Sri Lanka, which may begin at Emirates Old Trafford on August 21 after Edgbaston's series is over. The day after the second Test is due to end in September, England begin a T20I set against Australia.
That is followed by an ODI set against the same opponents that runs only eight days before the start of a three-Test set in Pakistan. England begin an ODI set in Antigua eight weeks before the first Check against New Zealand in Christchurch, which will take place in Christchurch.
England may play five white-ball games in India as part of their planning for the Champions Trophy in February, but there are no international Tests scheduled for the first half of the year until 2025. Four visiting groups will then play in the house year, with an Ireland-based ODI series opposite to the India Test collection.
England are blessed with a playing billiards that can be effectively split for the responsibility that await. However, the attraction to their multi-format participants, including Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and others, will grow, especially as they continue to look for opportunities on the T20 company circuit.
Stokes believes that having a strong hand on the wheel when it comes to what is best for his team is due to his position as the Test captain. But he acknowledged issues on the horizon and urged board such as the ICC, who produce the Potential Tours Programme (FTP), and the ECB, who rubber-stamp it, to work more with people at an uncertain period for the game's habitat.
" I hope not", answered Stokes when asked if his passions with the Test team may be hampered by the plan. " It is something that does need to be addressed.
With all the company activity that is occurring, who knows what foreign cricket will look like? It does need to find looked at. The scenery is continually changing. Nobody can claim to know what cricket will look like in perhaps two years, in my opinion.
" I think some consultation might be quite nice, obviously to Jos ( Buttler ) and myself. The FTP may even see the persons playing in it consulted, and I think we could have some great insight in that".
Asked whether he had been consulted on the latest FTP running from 2023-27, Stokes was tight-lipped:" Yes and no. Create of that what you will".
When asked about his own white-ball occupation, he seemed uneasy when asked about it the day before a test match. He later decided to leave the T20 World Cup next month to concentrate on his Check duties after changing his ODI pensions and playing in the 2023 World Cup. He even refused to acknowledge studies in The Telegraph last week that he has signed a car £800, 000 cope with MI Cape Town in the SA20, which clashes with the India white-ball line at the start of next year.
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