England Test vice-captain Ben Stokes has opened up his decision to not register for the IPL 2022 mega auction.
The ace all-rounder believes playing county cricket this season would keep him in good stead for the home summer as England are looking to revive their fortunes in the longest format of the game.
England had a torrid time in Test cricket in 2021 despite starting the year with a 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka. The Joe Root-led side suffered a 3-1 series defeat in away series against India before losing the two-Test series to New Zealand at home.
They were also trailing 2-1 against India at home, with the fifth and final Test being cancelled due to COVID-19 cases in the visiting camp. The humiliating 4-0 Ashes debacle was the final nail in the coffin and the ECB has now overhauled the playing squad and coaching staff.
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In his column for the Daily Mirror, Stokes stressed that Test cricket is his priority and he is keen to support Root in rebuilding the side.
"Test cricket is absolutely my number one priority, and I want to work alongside Joe Root, the best man we could have as captain, to get us there. It is why I thought long and hard about whether to go to the IPL or not, and felt that this was not about the money but about where my priorities are. It wouldn’t be fair on any team I signed up for if I wasn’t totally focused on things out there," Stokes wrote.
"The Test team is where it is at for me right now, and I want to give as much of my time and energy to that as possible. I think the Test side will benefit more from me playing a number of county championship matches this summer, and getting myself as best prepared as possible for the challenges of New Zealand and South Africa."
After England's 4-0 drubbing in the five-Test Ashes series, ECB sacked head coach Chris Silverwood and batting coach Graham Thorpe. Assistant coach Paul Collingwood will serve as the interim head coach for the upcoming Test tour of West Indies.
