Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 15: Former England captain Ben Stokes will return to competitive cricket with Durham in the opening round of the One-Day Cup against Derbyshire, marking his first match since retiring from international cricket last month.
The 35-year-old all-rounder stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international duty during England's third Test against New Zealand. His return to domestic cricket coincides with the launch of the revamped season of The Hundred.
Stokes was unavailable for the second Test against New Zealand while an investigation into an incident at a London nightclub was underway. During that break from international cricket, he featured for Durham in a County Championship match against Northamptonshire, an experience he later said rekindled his passion for the sport.
Reflecting on his return to his boyhood county, Stokes said playing for Durham gave him a fresh appreciation for cricket, even though he realised he could no longer rediscover the same motivation for international competition.
He expressed excitement about representing Durham again, describing himself as "buzzing" ahead of the One-Day Cup campaign. At the same time, he admitted that the days following his retirement announcement had been emotionally challenging, but said those feelings had reinforced his belief that stepping away from international cricket was the right decision.
Following his One-Day Cup appearance, Stokes is also expected to feature for Durham in the remaining County Championship fixtures before the domestic season concludes.
His return comes as The Hundred begins a new chapter after all eight franchises were sold to private investors in a deal worth around £520 million, bringing new ownership, refreshed branding and increased player salaries. However, Stokes opted out of the tournament's player auction, having already committed to playing for Durham before announcing his international retirement.
Durham supporters could now get the rare opportunity to watch one of England's greatest modern cricketers at smaller county venues. The club's home fixtures are scheduled at South Northumberland Cricket Club in Gosforth and Darlington Cricket Club, while an away match against Yorkshire will be played at York Cricket Club.
Stokes has not featured in 50-over cricket since England's disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, which proved to be his final limited-overs appearance for the national team. The match against Derbyshire will also mark his first domestic one-day game for Durham in 12 years.
His previous One-Day Cup appearance for Durham came in the 2014 final, where the county defeated Warwickshire to lift the title. Earlier in that tournament, Stokes produced one of the finest innings of his domestic career, smashing 164 runs in the semi-final against Nottinghamshire. His most recent domestic 50-over match was for Canterbury in New Zealand in 2017 while he was away from England duty following the Bristol nightclub incident.