Former England captain Ben Stokes replied when renowned cricketer Ian Botham announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the Test series against New Zealand.
Stokes and colleague Gus Atkinson were involved in a nightclub incident that resulted in Atkinson permanently hanging up his boots. Botham was particularly angry over the incident and publicly stated his disapproval at the 35-year-old’s behaviour off the pitch.
On the BBC’s Test Match Special (TMS) radio platform, Botham also questioned the England team’s recent lack of effort and declared that Stokes is no longer an issue.
As far as Michael Vaughan and I are concerned, we have no idea what we’re discussing. A few former has-beens. If you’re listening, Ben, congrats on being a member of the club. Ian Botham stated on Test Match Special, “You’re a has-been now.
Stokes addressed the aforementioned statement on X, formerly Twitter, using quotes from Botham: “The quote “It’s better to be a has-been than a never-been” originates from Lord Ian Botham.”
Stokes’ retirement wasn’t the only loss for England’s Test squad. A few weeks after the announcement, Brendon McCullum left his position as coach of the red-ball team, but he kept working with captain Harry Brook in limited-overs cricket.
The chosen candidates for England’s current search for a new captain and coach to lead them in the longest format in the sport include Andy Flower, Richard Dawson, and Kumar Sangakkara. Nonetheless, it is widely accepted that Brook would replace Stokes as the current vice captain.
In contrast, Stokes will play for Durham in the 2026 One Day Cup, which gets underway on July 21. The left-handed hitter will participate in his first List A game since England’s final World Cup encounter with Pakistan in 2023.
