England Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes recently fired back at a journalist on X (formerly Twitter) who accused him of prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches. The 33-year-old, currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, made it clear that he played three County Championship games this summer before the injury.
Stokes, who had skipped both the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup to focus on regaining full fitness for the English summer, participated in matches against Somerset, Lancashire, and Worcestershire. While his batting returns weren’t as prolific as expected, Stokes was in full bowling form, taking 25 wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
However, Scott Wilson, a journalist for a UK publication, criticized Stokes’ involvement in The Hundred, suggesting it was irresponsible:
“So Ben Stokes isn’t allowed to play any county cricket for #Durham during the summer, but he’s fine to mess about in the circus that is the Hundred, rupturing his hamstring and ruling him out for the rest of the summer. Utterly farcical.”
In response, Stokes didn’t hold back, replying:
“Chief Sports Writer??? I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year.”
The injury Stokes sustained during The Hundred has ruled him out for the rest of the summer, but he remains determined to be fit for England’s tour of Pakistan, which kicks off in October with a three-match Test series.
“Don’t think the format got him injured” – Nasser Hussain on Ben Stokes’ condition
Former England captain Nasser Hussain also weighed in on Stokes’ injury, offering a broader perspective. Hussain argued that the issue isn’t the format but the sheer volume of cricket being played across different formats. He pointed out the pressures faced by everyone involved in the game:
“I don’t think the format got him injured. There are just too many formats of the game. There’s too much pressure on everyone concerned with the game, whether it’s the ground staff, umpires, players. Everyone wanting their piece of the pie. County members wanting 50-over cricket, County Championship cricket, rightly. Sky, BBC, ECB wanting The Hundred format as well. People of a certain age who love historically their cricket, wanting Test match cricket. In the end, when everyone wants a piece of the pie, something has to give.”
As Stokes recovers, it’s been announced that he will be one of the three marquee signings for MI Cape Town ahead of SA20 2025. His return to cricket will be eagerly watched by fans and critics alike.
