England star Ben Stokes gives three-word response to ODI comeback question

Ben Stokes announced his status from one-day planetary cricket successful 2022, lone to marque a little comeback past twelvemonth arsenic England attempted to support their ODI World Cup title

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has told fans to 'wait until February' to find retired if he's returning to one-day planetary cricket.

Stokes, 33, retired from ODIs successful the summertime of 2022 to absorption connected captaining the Test broadside but made a little comeback past year to beryllium portion of England's World Cup defence successful India. England crashed retired earlier the knockout phase and person since appointed Test brag Brendon McCullum arsenic their caller white-ball caput coach.

With McCullum acceptable to telephone the shots from the opening of 2025, Stokes has been tipped for a return. The duo are presently successful Pakistan preparing for England's 3rd Test match, with the bid finely poised astatine 1-1.

Quizzed connected perchance returning to the ODI setup nether McCullum, who he's enjoyed large occurrence with for the Test side, Stokes refused to regularisation retired a 2nd comeback. "Wait until February," the 33-year-old replied with a wry smile.

Stokes was past asked if he'd held talks with his Kiwi brag regarding a return, to which helium again replied: "Wait until February," and a gave steadfast motion to the reporter.

Last month, Stokes revealed successful an interrogation with Sky Sports that he'd 'definitely' accidental yes to a call-up if McCullum wanted him to beryllium portion of the white-ball team. "I've played a batch of white-ball cricket for England and I'm precise blessed and contented with what I've achieved successful that signifier of the game," the Test skipper explained.

"If I get the telephone to travel and play, past evidently it's decidedly going to beryllium a yes. But I'm not going to beryllium excessively disappointed if I don't - it means that I tin conscionable beryllium backmost and ticker everyone other spell retired and smack it. Me and Baz person not spoken astir thing similar that whatsoever."

Get involved! Should Brendon McCullum bring Ben Stokes backmost into the ODI setup? Have your accidental successful the comments section.

Stokes' caller comments successful Pakistan hint that discussions person taken place, though helium and McCullum are focussed connected bouncing backmost from past week's 152-run decision which sets up a bid decider successful Rawalpindi. England person selected 3 spinners - Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir and the recalled Rehan Ahmed - successful an effort to combat Pakistan's occurrence successful the 2nd Test.

"I'll beryllium backing the 3 spinners that we've picked," Stokes said. "We don't cognize precisely however the wicket volition play, but we've taken arsenic overmuch accusation from it arsenic we can. We deliberation the longer the crippled goes, the much rotation volition travel into play."

Pakistan caput manager Jason Gillespie, the erstwhile Australia accelerated bowler, believes that the near-bald transportation volition 'favour the slower bowlers'. The hotly-anticipated 3rd Test volition commencement astatine 6am UK clip connected Thursday.