Ben Stokes Archives

Ben Stokes issues stern warning to India ahead of Third Test

England captain Ben Stokes has delivered a strong warning to India ahead of the highly anticipated third Test, set to commence on 10 July at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The newly renamed Anderson-Tendulkar trophy is tied 1-1 as India roared back with a statement win in the second Test at Edgbaston, a venue where they recorded their first win on the ninth attempt.

The 336-run victory also marked Shubman Gill’s first win as a captain, who was also named as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his consecutive tons in both innings of the match.

With England requiring a record 608 to chase, their batting crumbled under pressure and they were bowled out for just 271 runs on the final day of the Test match.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Test, Ben Stokes acknowledged that the series was always going to be competitive due to the quality of the teams.

“This was always going to be a series (in) which moments ebb and flow, the results were going to ebb and flow because there are two very good teams going at each other,” he told reporters.

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“We came out on top at Headingley, and they came out on top in the last game. When you have two good sides going at it against each other, you are going to see that. I don’t think we feel like we have the edge over anyone,” he added.

The skipper, who is also facing a dip in form with the willow, issued a warning to the visitors, noting that the Three Lions will come out firing all cylinders.

“We respect our opposition, whoever that may be. We’ll be coming out this week, trying to hit them hard and obviously trying to come away with a win,” he concluded.

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‘No fear’: Ben Stokes downplays the Jasprit Bumrah threat ahead of opening Test

England captain Ben Stokes has brushed off the threat posed by India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the five-match test series, set to commence tomorrow at Leeds.

In the lead-up to the series, there were ample discussions regarding Bumrah’s skilful bowling and England’s bazball approach. However, the right-arm pacer is only available for three Tests due to workload management and injury concerns.

Speaking ahead of the much-anticipated series, Ben Stokes dismissed the notion of fearing Bumrah’s threat.

“No fear. In international cricket, you come up against quality opposition all the time. We know his class and what he brings to any team he plays for, but in terms of fear, definitely, he said.

“I don’t think one bowler alone is going to win the series for either team. All 11 [players] have to stand up. I don’t think there is just one person in either team holding the key to success,” Ben Stokes added.

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The 31-year-old pacer had a stellar run in 2024, having picked up 71 wickets in just 13 games at an average of 26.27. However, despite India ending the series on a losing note, Bumrah stood out with his phenomenal bowling down under.

However, Jasprit Bumrah sustained a back injury in the last Test against Australia, hence keeping him out of the Champions Trophy 2025.

A few days earlier, the fast bowler mentioned his injury problems and the number of the matches he will be play in the upcoming series.

“[We will] plan on the go. Three Test matches is what I’m looking at. Obviously that number is not decided. First [Test] is definitely on, that is going to happen.

The rest we’ll see how things are, what is the workload, what are the scenarios going on. Three Test matches is what I can manage at this moment. And I don’t want to be in a desperate scenario,” Bumrah stated.

With India set to play five Test matches without experienced Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah will carry most of the burden as he leads an inexperienced pace attack.

For context, Bumrah has enjoyed bowling in English conditions, taking 37 wickets in nine Tests.

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Former England captain slams ”undercooked’ Ben Stokes ahead of first Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned Three Lions captain Ben Stokes’ readiness for the five-match Test series against India, which is set to begin tomorrow at Leeds.

While speaking with an English news outlet, Vaughan expressed his amusement over Ben Stokes’ lack of match practice ahead of a packed summer.

“I’ve been staggered by the lack of time in the middle that Ben’s had as a batter. He didn’t have a great year last year when he got his injuries,” Vaughan said.

He also questioned England’s skipper’s absence from the Lions’ practice game against India A.

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‘A Scottie Scheffler or a footballer going into a major event would be playing. He’s had no game time. Why wouldn’t you want to play for England Lions just for a knock, not to bowl?

He was bowling against Zimbabwe, and clearly he’s fine, but why wouldn’t you just want a bit of time in the middle? Call me old school, but I think it’s quite nice to go out and hit a few balls,” he added.

The 50-year-old hailed Ben Stokes as an intelligent captain, deeming him a vital cog in England’s chances down under.

“England can only win in Australia with him, and that’s him being the all-rounder. If he goes to Australia just as the batter, that completely breaks the balance of the team and as much as he’s a genius captain, the team are 30-40 per cent better when he bowls. To win in Australia, he has to be bowling and batting well,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Ben Stokes returned for the first time after knee surgery, playing against Zimbabwe in a one-off historic Test.

The all-rounder did not have a good outing with the bat, scoring only nine runs; however, Stokes was impressive with the ball, taking three wickets in the match.

READ: Major blow for India as key player likely to miss first Test against England

Ben Stokes shines as England tighten grip against Zimbabwe

Ben Stokes struck twice on his return to Test cricket as England enforced the follow-on against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on Friday despite a record-breaking century from Brian Bennett.

Zimbabwe were dismissed for just 265 after tea on the second day of the four-day match, exactly 300 runs behind England’s mammoth first-innings 565-6 declared.

England captain Ben Stokes wasted no time in asking Zimbabwe to bat again as he sought to turn the screw in Nottingham.

And at stumps, Zimbabwe were 30-2 in their second innings, a deficit of 270 runs.

This actually represented a recovery from 7-2 in the first Test of Zimbabwe in England in 22 years.

Bennett endured the other side of Test cricket when lbw for just one to Gus Atkinson before Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine also fell cheaply.

Zimbabwe were dominated by England’s batsmen before reaching the relative comfort of 187-3 on a flat pitch in their first innings.

But all-rounder Ben Stokes, playing his first match of the year in any form of cricket following hamstring surgery, took two wickets for no runs in 11 balls before tea to leave Zimbabwe struggling on 199-5.

He had Sikandar Raza (seven) caught behind off a lifting delivery ball that cut away before bowling Wessly Madhevere for a duck with a sharp in-ducker.

Bennett, occasionally riding his luck, kept England at bay, reaching 139 off just 143 balls, including an impressive 26 fours, before he was dismissed.

He reached his century in 97 balls, breaking the record for the fastest Test ton by a Zimbabwe batsman, Sean Williams’s 106-ball effort against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2016.

Bennett had a lifeline when dropped in the slips by Joe Root off paceman Stokes on 89 but the 21-year-old opener went to his hundred, his second in seven Tests, in style with three commanding fours off successive balls from fast bowler Atkinson.

“When I play my best that is my game-plan — to be positive,” said Bennett. “I saw the ball nicely.”

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Bennett, whose parents were in the crowd at Trent Bridge, added: “It is a huge honour to play for Zimbabwe in Test cricket, especially at such a young age.”

After tea, Bennett was brilliantly caught by a diving Ollie Pope at short leg as he fended at a rising delivery from the injury-plagued Tongue only for replays to reveal the fast bowler, playing his first Test in two years, had over-stepped.

But Bennett was unable to cash in. He was still on 139 when he fell to the same combination in similar fashion, with Pope taking a far simpler catch.

And 246-6 became 251-7 when Shoaib Bashir, who had struck twice before tea, bowled Tafadzwa Tsiga for 22 with a sharply turning delivery.

Zimbabwe’s innings ended when they were nine wickets down, with injured paceman Richard Ngarava unable to bat.

Off-spinner Bashir finished with figures of 3-62 after taking just two wickets in this season’s County Championship at a hugely expensive average of 152 apiece.

“It was nice to get the wickets there,” said the 21-year-old. “It was a pretty dominant day from us.

“Walking into the dressing room, as we say you stand six-foot tall. I’m very well supported here. It’s my happy place,” added Bashir, loaned to Glamorgan because he struggles to get into a Somerset team where Jack Leach is the specialist spinner.

England resumed Friday under sunny skies on an already commanding 498-3, with Pope 169 not out after openers Zak Crawley (124) and Ben Duckett (140) had also made hundreds.

But Pope had added just two runs when caught behind off Tanaka Chivanga, bringing in Stokes, who only managed nine runs.

Harry Brook punished Zimbabwe’s outclassed attack, hitting 58 off 50 balls, including six fours and three sixes.

He struck Blessing Muzarabani for successive sixes, a thumping pull followed by a remarkable pick-up shot that sailed high over fine leg.

Brook went to fifty with another six off Muzarabani before playing on to the persevering quick, who finished with 3-143.

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Ben Stokes urges England to be smarter with their comments

England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has supported head coach Brendon McCullum’s notion of being smarter with their comments ahead of a hugely important summer.

While speaking to the media ahead of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, Ben Stokes emphasized comments that England players had made in the past couple of years.

Ben Stokes, who will be playing his first competitive match since picking up a hamstring injury during last year’s tour of New Zealand, stated that comments made by himself, Brendon McCullum, and other players are sometimes misinterpreted when reported by the media.

“Yeah, I think what’s the messaging we have delivered over sort of last two and half or three years, let’s say has been for a multiple of reasons, you know the words that we say mean bigger things in our minds,” Ben Stokes said.

“I and Buzz [Brendon McCullum] and particular and sometimes when those sort of comments that we say come across in the media by some of the other lads that get heavily taken out of context,” Ben Stokes added.

Ben Stokes called for his team players to be smart with their words while taking the blame on himself for the interaction.

“I can totally understand that as to why that may frustrate or annoy fans, public. We always want public to be on our side. We know how much support we get and we value that incredibly.

“But now we have spoken about that and just be a little smarter about some of the comments that we, how we deliver it may be and I partly take a bit of blame for that as well because when sometimes I speak and I’ ve got a bigger meaning towards that does not mean everyone understand the bigger picture of that, if that makes sense, Ben Stokes explained.

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Earlier, Brendon McCullum suggested that his side is ‘shooting for the stars’ ahead of a packed summer, but urged that players need to remain humble.

The statement comes in light of criticism England players have faced for reacting to their losses in public.

A month earlier, England speedster Mark Wood admitted to the fact that the team players have said ‘dumb’ things in the media.

It is pertinent to mention that the three lions were also under immense criticism from former batter Kevin Pietersen for not training enough, particularly during the white-ball tour of India earlier this year.

For this reason, England’s managing director, Rob Key, also gave a statement in March that the [England] players need to “stop talking rubbish”.

For the unversed, England will start their summer with a one-off historic Test against Zimbabwe on Thursday. This will be Zimbabwe’s first on English soil in 23 years.

The match will be followed by a white-ball series against West Indies under new captain Harry Brook. England will later face the challenge of India in a five-match Test series, starting from 20 June.

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Here’s why Ben Stokes gave up drinking Alcohol

England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed the reason behind giving up Alcohol after a string of injuries that cast doubts over his career as an all-rounder.

Stokes was ruled out of all three formats of cricket after suffering a tear during the third Test against New Zealand last December. The all-rounder underwent surgery on his left hamstring in aid of recovery.

Ben Stokes has yet to play a competitive game ahead of England’s packed summer. The three Lions’ summer begins with a one-off historic Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on 22 May, marking the latter’s first on English soil in 23 years.

Now, Stokes has revealed the reason behind quitting Alcohol on a podcast.

”After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped,” he said.

“Then I was like: ‘OK, I need to start changing what I do.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sober, but I’ve not had a drink since 2 January,” he added.

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The 33-year-old shed light on his training methods, stressing the hard work away from the field to yield the best out of himself.

”I said to myself: ‘Not until I finish my injury rehab and get back on the field.”

“It’s just getting harder to do everything. Hence why now I feel like I have to work so much harder away from the field, in the gym, and all that kind of stuff to just give me the best chance of being out there to perform. But I’ll keep going as long as I possibly can.”

England Test skipper further emphasized on contrasting cricketing cultures of the ’90s and 2000s, highlighting the physical fatigue on the body.

”In the 90s and 00s there were unbelievable stories [about drinking]. It’s definitely settled down a lot over the years. The game is more demanding on the body than it was.

”There’s so much more cricket, there’s so much more in the schedule that it’s just impossible for the body to be able to withstand all of that anyway without the downsides of what a couple of beers at the end of the day can do to you for the next day,” he concluded.

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Ben Stokes slams ‘utter rubbish’ claims on England training methods

England Test team captain Ben Stokes has slammed critics of the national team’s training methods, calling them ‘utter rubbish’.

The England team’s training methods were scrutinized earlier this year, particularly during their white-ball tour of India.

Rob Key, the managing director of the England Cricket Board (ECB), addressed the criticism, stating that the notion of a relaxed, carefree environment was England’s own fault.

Now, the three Lions captain Ben Stokes has voiced his support for his team’s exceptional work ethic, mentioning that he is frustrated by their reputation.

“When you hear comments saying that we don’t train hard enough, we’re more bothered about golf, we don’t work hard enough, it’s just complete and utter [rubbish],” he said during an interview with Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.

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The dynamic all-rounder stressed the demands of an international sportsman while admitting that without a work ethic, a player could not sustain his place.

“You’re not going to be able to be an international sportsman for a long period of time if you don’t have a work ethic. Everyone who walks into the Test team, into the white-ball team, their work ethic is incredible,” Stokes explained.

Ben Stokes further highlighted the specific methods of the England team, stating that their activities relieve the squad’s burden.

“There is a reason for everything that we do, because we feel it helps players, it helps the team, but it also is a way of taking the pressure of what we do off us, without adding more to it.

“There’s enough pressure on the shoulders of everyone who walks out there with the three lions on their chest, and what we try and do is take any extra, added pressure off the shoulders of people,” he concluded.

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Stuart Broad cautions ECB against making Ben Stokes ODI captain

Former England cricketer Stuart Broad has warned the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) against appointing all-rounder Ben Stokes as captain for the One Day International (ODI) format.

The debate began after Jos Butler’s resignation as England’s White ball captain following their dismal campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The three lions remained winless in the tournament, registering defeats against England, South Africa and Afghanistan.

Following the marquee event debacle, ECB managing director Rob Key named Ben Stokes as the notable candidate for a leadership role in ODIs.

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“Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen, so it would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means,” Key stated.

“You look at every single option and think: What is the best thing to do? How is that going to impact other things?” he added.

In light of this statement, Stuart Broad has downplayed the idea of making Stokes the skipper of the ODI side, terming it a “decision of desperation.”

“I would be lost for words if England appointed him,” Broad stated.

The pacer highlighted Ben Stokes’s workload management and commitment to Test cricket in taking on this role.

“Firstly, there’s the schedule. He’s skipping the IPL to focus on Test cricket and manage his body for major assignments ahead. How many overs has Stokes successfully bowled in the last three years while battling knee injuries? Not many.”

“And now you’re going to add the workload of bowling eight to ten overs per match in the 50-over format? The mathematics of that make no sense,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that the England team will host India for a five-match Test series and will also play the Ashes series later in the year.

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Ben Stokes likely to replace Jos Buttler as England white-ball captain

England cricket supremo Rob Key said on Thursday “it would be stupid” to rule Test captain Ben Stokes out of consideration for the role of skipper of the struggling white-ball team.

Jos Buttler stood down last week following a poor display by the side at the ongoing 50-over ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where his team lost all three of their group games.

England have now suffered 10 defeats in 11 white-ball fixtures this year.

Vice-captain Harry Brook had appeared to be the heir apparent to Buttler, but he is likely to be a mainstay in all three international formats, meaning a formidable workload.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director for men’s cricket Rob Key is considering his options for the role of white-ball captain, which include expanding Stokes’s remit.

The 33-year-old Durham all-rounder has proved himself an inspirational captain since succeeding Joe Root as Test skipper. But his age and injury problems mean he has largely operated as a Test specialist for 16 months.

Appointing Ben Stokes as limited-overs captain would mean extending his “Bazball” alliance with Brendon McCullum, now the coach of England’s white-ball teams as well as being in charge of the Test side.

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“I think nothing’s off the table really,” Key told reporters at Lord’s. “Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen. It would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means.”

Stokes, currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, has not played a Twenty20 international since the T20 World Cup final in November 2022 and has not featured in a one-day international since the 2023 50-over World Cup in India.

Former England batsman Key acknowledged that England’s limited-overs form had declined sharply and their batting had “fallen off a cliff”.

England won the ODI World Cup under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan in 2019 and triumphed at the T20 World Cup under Buttler three years later. But they have slumped to seventh in the ODI rankings and are third in the T20I rankings.

“We were very poor in the Champions Trophy,” said Key. “But the truth is, we haven’t been particularly good in white-ball cricket, probably since the last era when (retired captain) Eoin Morgan did it.”

England have been criticised for pursuing an ultra-aggressive approach under McCullum, regardless of the match situation, but Key said the former New Zealand captain’s coaching methods were more nuanced.

“It’s not true that the only thing he (McCullum) says is go harder, go harder, go harder,” said Key. “He speaks all the time about soaking up pressure as well.”

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ECB provides update on Ben Stokes’ injury

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, provided an update on the injury of the national men’s Test captain Ben Stokes.

The star all-rounder has been ruled out of all forms of cricket after tearing his left hamstring during the third Test against New Zealand, team management confirmed.

He had already been ruled out of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the preceding white-ball tour of India.

Further assessments have since revealed the full extent of the injury, with Stokes set to undergo surgery in January, said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

Stokes suffered the injury while bowling during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton last week.

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Stokes did not bat in the second innings of that match as England slumped to a 423-run defeat — a result that meant his side still won a three-match series 2-1.

“Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood, sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt,” Ben Stokes wrote on social media.

“There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body.”

Stokes previously missed this year’s home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test in Pakistan after tearing the hamstring on the same left leg in August.

England’s next Test is at home to Zimbabwe in May. They will then host a five-match Test series against India starting in June before their pinnacle 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia.

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