Ben Stokes emphasizes that no such talks have yet taken place, preferring to concentrate on being fit enough to captain England’s Test tour to Pakistan next month. However, he believes “it’s definitely going to be a yes” if Brendon McCullum asks him to return to play for England’s revived white-ball teams.

In both the 2019 and 2022 World Cup final victories for England, at Lord’s and Melbourne, Stokes, 33, is renowned for having played the game-winning innings. However, since the ODI team’s humiliating championship defense in India in November of last year, he has not played in a white-ball international.

In 2022, Stokes announced his retirement from One-Day Internationals, citing the possibility of burnout from an increasingly demanding international schedule. In June, he withdrew from the most recent T20 World Cup, preferring to concentrate on recovering fully from surgery for a long-standing knee injury.

Now that their relationship as captain and coach of the Test team has solidified, Stokes says he is open to a cross-format comeback, but only if it benefits the white-ball team, which has started to turn to a new generation, including this month’s new cap Jacob Bethell, whom he believes will be a “superstar.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the white-ball team to experience what Baz has brought to the Test team,” Stokes told Sky Sports during the third ODI at Chester-le-Street. “He’s an incredible coach who speaks with utter commitment, and it’s nice to have all three teams now with the same messaging and the same philosophies towards playing cricket.”

“If I get the call and [Baz] says, ‘Do you want to come and play?’ Then obviously, it’s definitely going to be a yes, but I’m not going to be too disappointed if I don’t, because I can just sit back and watch everyone else go out and smack it.

“I’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket for England, and I’m very happy with what I’ve achieved in that form of the game,” he added. “But to be honest, we’ve not even spoken about anything like that whatsoever. I think he’s just letting me concentrate on what I need to concentrate on, especially around the Test team.”

The next test for Stokes’ squad will come next week when they travel to Pakistan for three more Test matches. In December 2022, they won 3-0 there, in one of the most memorable victories of the Stokes-McCullum era.

Multan will host the first Test starting on October 7 as it has finally been confirmed after several weeks of doubt. Despite missing the Sri Lanka series due to a hamstring strain in August, Stokes anticipates being well enough to captain his side in that encounter. However, he believes he will exercise caution when returning to the bowling attack after an extended stint out of the game.

Stokes has always been an integral aspect of the England setup, be it red-ball or white-ball cricket. His presence for the upcoming Champions Trophy could well prove to be a difference, making England an even stronger lineup.

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