Packed international calendar worries Stokes as England Test captain calls for more player input
Packed international calendar causes headache to Test ace Ben Stokes
England Test captain and veteran all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his ODI retirement earlier to escape cramped schedule chaos, aiming to prolong and protect his Test career. Although he forced his way into making a U-turn on that to play the 50-over World Cup last year, Stokes remains firm about striking the balance between playing all formats, with franchise cricket added to the mix.
Every top team, barring Australia, has a packed international schedule coming up, and Stokes, who will lead England in the third Test against the West Indies in Birmingham on Friday (July 26), feels such a tight window for both red and white ball teams will eventually have a negative impact on its development.
While Stokes is focused on building up for next year’sAshes, the future of white-ball head coach Matthew Motts and Captain Jos Buttler will soon be decided following England’s embarrassing loss at the hands of India in the T20 World Cup semis.
Meanwhile, the England Test captain is aware of the problems tagging along with such cramped schedules, urging the apex body – the ICC and the ECB, to consider what players think of how the game’s ecosystem could survive before producing the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
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"It is something that does need to be addressed,” Stokes said of cricket’s stakeholders addressing working on the tight windows.
"Who knows what international cricket is going to look like, with all the franchise stuff that is going on as well? It does need to get looked at. The landscape is constantly changing. I don't think anyone can put their hand on their heart and say they know what cricket is going to look like in even two years' time.
"I think some consultation might be quite nice, obviously to Jos (Buttler) and myself. The FTP could maybe see the people playing in it consulted, and I think we could have some good input in that,” England’s Test captain continued.
England’s upcoming schedule
Right after this ongoing series, England will host Sri Lanka for three Tests starting August 21. A day after the third Test is due to finish in September, England will face Australia in five T20Is at home. An ODI series will follow this, with England wrapping that up just eight days before the start of their three-match away Test series against Pakistan in October.
Three days after the Pakistan Tests, England will travel to the Caribbean for the ODI series, which ends with the final game in St. Lucia.
Eight days afterwards, England will be in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the first Test.
Thankfully, England will not play any cricket in the first half of January 2025, but they will arrive in India for five ODIs just ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan in February-March.
With plenty of English players getting involved in the IPL 2025, they will return for an extended home season next year, with Ireland ODIs and five Tests against India.
(With inputs from agencies)
