Ben Stokes has called for more player input over the international schedule, ahead of an overloaded 12-month period for England’s red- and white-ball sides. Speaking ahead of the third and final Test against West Indies, England’s Test captain Ben Stokes reiterated his long-held criticisms of a congested fixture list, further complicated by the rise of franchise cricket. Having previously worried about its effect on the quality of cricket, Ben Stokes is wary of the negative impact it could have on the development of England teams as a whole.
While Ben Stokes’ focus is on building towards the Ashes in the winter of 2025-26, the limited-overs set-up is looking towards a new dawn, with a decision to be made imminently on the futures of head coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler. Such are the commitments ahead for both squads, it is highly unlikely that each will progress at a similar rate.
England’s future tours and growing rates of t20 leagues has cramped cricketing priorities
The exponential rise in T20 franchise cricket in the last decade or so has left many players worried and confused at the same time. The inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007 gave rise to tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash.
Tournaments like the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Major League Cricket (MLC), SA20, ILT20, Global T20 Canada, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL) have emerged and put an international cricketer in a fix – whether to remain loyal to his country or to opt for the big bucks.
International cricket functions as per the Future Tour Programme (FTP) managed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Stokes opines that players who hold a central contract should have a say in designing it to prevent the unnecessary clash with the T20 tournaments happening simultaneously.
After the conclusion of this series vs West Indies in Edgbaston, the Test team will reconvene for a three-match series against Sri Lanka which begins at Emirates Old Trafford on August 21. The day after the third Test is due to finish in September, England begin a T20I series against Australia.
That is followed by an ODI series against the same opponents that finishes just eight days before the start of a three-Test series in Pakistan. Three days after that tour concludes, England begin an ODI series in Antigua, which ends in St Lucia eight days prior to the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.
The start of 2025 offers some respite with no overseas Tests in the first half of the year, but England will play five white-ball matches in India as preparation for the Champions Trophy in February. The home season then plays host to four visiting teams, with an ODI series in Ireland running parallel to the India Test series.
Ben Stokes the English skipper stressed the fact regarding growing stress and load on players playing regularly due to the overpacked schedule.
Ben Stokes backs more player input over crammed international schedule ahead of 3rd Test vs WI.
England’s Test captain Ben Stokes reckons more player input should be taken before deciding the international cricket calendar. His comments came in the wake of the team’s crammed schedule for the next 12 months. England are taking on the West Indies in a three-match Test series at home. The hosts have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. The third and final match begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday, July 26.
At the pre-match press conference ahead of the third Test against the West Indies, Stokes shared his candid views on the packed international schedule that awaits England. The all-rounder stated, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo:
“It is something that does need to be addressed. 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.”
The 33-year-old also opined that consulting players before finalizing the Future Tour Programs would be a sensible move.
“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,” the England Test skipper said.
In the past as well, Ben Stokes has raised concerns over the jam-packed international schedule. He even announced premature retirement from ODIs citing the same reason before reversing the decision ahead of last year’s World Cup.
England are blessed with a playing pool that can be adequately split for the obligations that await. But the pull on their multi-format players such as Harry Brook, Mark Wood and even Jofra Archer, who is mooted to return to the Test side in 2025, will become a problem, particularly as they continue to seek opportunities on the T20 franchise circuit.
Ben Stokes believes his role as Test captain allows him to have a firm hand on the tiller when it comes to what is best for his team. But he acknowledged problems on the horizon and urged boards such as the ICC, who produce the Future Tours Programme (FTP), and the ECB, who rubber-stamp it, to collaborate more with players at an uncertain time for the game’s ecosystem.
Ben Stokes was similarly guarded when asked about his own white-ball career, unwilling to entertain the question on the eve of a Test match. Having reversed his ODI retirement to play in the 2023 World Cup, Ben Stokes subsequently opted out of the T20 World Cup last month to focus on his Test duties. He also refused to acknowledge reports in The Telegraph last week that he has signed a bumper £800,000 deal with MI Cape Town in the SA20, which clashes with the India white-ball series at the start of next year.