T20 Becoming Business, But Test Cricket Is Still The Pinnacle: Ben Stokes
T20 Becoming Business, But Test Cricket Is Still The Pinnacle: Ben Stokes’ ODI retirement was a surprise. Stokes’ ODI retirement shocked the cricket world, but it was expected. Mental health difficulties forced Stokes to quit cricket last year. Many players are expected to retire from ODIs after Stokes.
ODI cricket is anticipated to lose the most due to the financial benefits of T20, and Test cricket is the ultimate format.
Stokes recently commented on the future of Test cricket and stated it would remain the apex while T20 has become a business. Stokes agreed with Ravi Shastri that only the top six sides should play Test cricket.
“Somewhat, but no. There are currently many franchises with multiple teams in different countries in franchise cricket. Stokes revealed this in answer to an NDTV question during a special media call organised by Amazon Prime, which will premiere his documentary ‘Ben Stokes: Phoenix From The Ashes’ on August 26.
“T20 is becoming a business for some, but it’s excellent for the game that things like this are happening; it gives players more chances than 15 years ago.” Life outside of cricket, security, and money in the sport is much more than 15-20 years ago, he said.
Statements
“You want to play the greatest cricket you can for as long as possible, but you also need to think about the future. If you want to stop playing cricket, you can, but Test cricket won’t disappear, he said.
“I’m a major ambassador for the format; it’s cricket’s pinnacle.” Pure form. Test match cricket is still the sport’s apex, even though T20 is changing it, claimed the new England Test captain.
“Even the world’s biggest players feel the same way,” he said. We are responsible for spreading the message that Test cricket is not dead. No way, said he.
The documentary will reveal why Stokes left cricket due to mental health difficulties. Stokes said, “When people say it was hard? No, because when I chose to make a documentary, I said I didn’t want it to be about myself. I can show them who I am. I think that’s rare among athletes. People judge athletes by what they see on TV, whether they’re playing or giving press conferences. It’s rare to witness them in their natural habitat, Stokes told NDTV.
“I felt accountable and was clear that the documentary couldn’t just make myself look good. I’ve had many things happen in my job and personal life. If I didn’t share it, people would wonder why. Everything has been so public, from T20 World Cup 2016 to the Bristol incident to my mental health sabbatical. If I didn’t cover it, I wouldn’t be fair. He wanted to make sure the documentary covered everything well.
Virat Kohli congratulated Ben Stokes after he retired. Ben Stokes remarked of Virat Kohli, “Sport is a fantastic contest, not just between teams but between individuals.” Respect exists between oppositions and individuals. Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are examples. They’ve had fierce competition, yet professional athletes respect each other. That’s the same for all sports, you’ll always have a battle and strive to win, but in the end, there’s respect.
“Outside of cricket, we hardly meet. We play international and IPL cricket against each other, so it’s good when it’s me against the opposition or any individual. You have to separate on-field and off-field competitiveness. “We’re not children, so if we have a go at each other on the field, it’s great when we’re back in the same room,” he said.