LEEDS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: Ben Stokes of England celebrates hitting the winning runs to win the 3rd Specsavers Ashes Test match between England and Australia at Headingley on August 25, 2019 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Ben Stokes: ‘T20 is becoming a business, but Test cricket is still the pinnacle. ‘ Stokes, a left-handed batter, has stated that T20 cricket is now becoming a “business.” But Test cricket will remain the pinnacle, and his main job is to promote the game’s longest format.
England Test captain Ben Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in modern cricket. But due to his heavy workload, the star player announced his retirement from one-day international cricket earlier this year. He last played an ODI against South Africa at home in Durham. Since his decision to retire from ODI cricket became public. There has been much discussion about the cricket calendar and how to manage cricketers.’ Workloads so that they can play as many games for their country as possible.
Bilateral cricket faces a significant challenge
With the emergence of various T20 leagues around the world, bilateral cricket faces a significant challenge in remaining relevant. Stokes, a left-handed batter, has stated that T20 cricket is now becoming a “business.” But Test cricket will remain the pinnacle, and his main job is to promote the game’s longest format. Previously, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri suggested that only 5-6 teams play the longest format to keep it competitive.
“To some extent (whether or not he agrees with Shastri), but also no. When you look at the current state of franchise cricket. You will notice that there are many franchises with multiple teams spread across the globe. Obviously, people now have multiple franchise teams in India, the CPL, and South Africa. “Stokes made the statement in response to an NDTV question during a special media call organized by Prime Video. Which will begin streaming his documentary ‘Ben Stokes: Phoenix From The Ashes’ on August 26.
T20 is becoming a business for some people
“You could argue that T20 is now becoming a business for some people. But it is obviously good for the game that things like this are happening. Because it gives a lot more opportunity, and there are more opportunities for players than there were 15 years ago. Life outside of cricket, security, and the money involved in the sport are all much more expensive than they were 15-20 years ago. ” He continued, saying
“So, there is also that which needs to be considered; professional sport is a very short career; not only do you want to be playing the best cricket you can for as long as possible, but you also need to consider the future. If you want to stop playing cricket, that’s fine, but I don’t see Test cricket going away anytime soon “he stated.
“I am a huge supporter of the format, which is the pinnacle of cricket. It in its purest form. Yeah, I don’t see Test match cricket going away. Even though T20 cricket is changing the face of the sport, but Test match cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport “The new England Test captain stated.
“And I know that even the world’s most powerful players feel the same way. So I almost feel like we have a responsibility to keep spreading the message that Test cricket is not dead. Without a doubt, in our opinion, it is not “He continued.
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Ben Stokes also discuss his mental health issues in his upcoming documentary
Stokes will also discuss his mental health issues in his upcoming documentary. It is worth noting that Stokes took a break from cricket in 2021 to focus on his mental health, and he also missed the T20 World Cup.
“When people say how difficult it was? No, because when I decided that making a documentary was something I wanted to do. I specifically stated that I did not want this documentary to be all about making myself look good. It’s an opportunity for me to learn and show people who I am. Sportsmen, I believe, are rarely capable of doing so. Sportsmen are painted in the image that people see on TV, whether they are playing or in the media, at press conferences. It is extremely rare to see them in their own space, where they are at ease in their surroundings “Stokes responded to another NDTV question.
“I felt responsible, and I was very clear about how the documentary had to cover everything, not just make me look good. I have had so many things happen to me in my career, not just in cricket, but in personal life as well, and I felt if I didn’t share that, then people would be like, why didn’t he talk about that? It has been such a public thing, right from T20 World Cup 2016 to the Bristol incident to the break I took because of my mental health.
Sport is an amazing contest, not just between teams, but also between individuals.
When asked about Kohli, the star all-rounder said, “Look, sport is an amazing contest, not just between teams, but also between individuals.” But, in the end, there is always respect between opponents, between individuals. It simply does not exist in our sport, as evidenced by Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios. They have had a fierce rivalry, but at the end of the day, you can tell there is mutual respect between professional athletes. That is true for all sports; there will always be a battle and you will always try your hardest to win the game, but at the end of the day, there is respect.”
“To be honest, we rarely see each other outside of cricket. Obviously, we play international cricket against each other, IPL cricket, and it is fine. When you are out on the field, it is me against the opposition or me against any individual. You have to separate the two, the on-field competition and the off-field competition; it is not as if we are little children, and if we do have a go at each other on the field, as soon as we are back off the field, it is back to two individuals who are in the same room together, and that is fine “He continued.