T20 Becoming Business, But Test Cricket Is Still The Pinnacle: Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes, a left-handed batter, has stated that T20 cricket now become a “business,” but Test cricket will remain the pinnacle, and his primary responsibility is to push the game’s longest format.
Stokes is one of the best all-rounders in modern cricket, but due to his excessive workload, the star player announced his retirement from ODI cricket earlier this year.

With the introduction of several T20 leagues around the world, bilateral cricket confronts a significant challenge in remaining relevant. Previously, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri proposed that just 5-6 teams play the longest format to keep it competitive.

“To some extent (whether he agrees with Shastri), but also no. If you look at the current state of franchise cricket, you will notice that there are many franchises with various teams spread across the globe. Obviously, in India, the CPL, and South Africa, people have many franchise teams “Stokes said in response to an NDTV question during a select media call organized by Amazon Prime, who will be streaming his documentary ‘Ben Stokes: Phoenix From The Ashes’ from August 26.

‘I am a huge ambassador for the format’: Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes, a left-handed batter, has stated that T20 cricket now become a “business,” but Test cricket will remain the pinnacle.

“You might argue that T20 is now turning into a business for some people, but it is unquestionably good for the game that things like these are occurring; you know, it gives players a lot more opportunity than there was 15 years ago. Life outside of cricket, security, and the amount of money associated with the sport are all much higher now than they were 15 to 20 years ago” he continued.

“Therefore, it is also important to consider the fact that professional sports generally have relatively brief careers. In addition to wanting to play your best cricket for as long as you can, you should also consider your future. The only way to stop playing cricket would be to stop playing Test cricket, which I do not see disappearing anytime soon “he asserted.

At home in Durham, Ben Stokes played his final one-day international match against South Africa. Since he announced publicly that he was quitting ODI cricket, there has been discussion about the cricket schedule and how to manage players’ workloads to ensure that they play as many international matches as possible.

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