England could be dealt with a huge blow leading up to the T20 World Cup later this year in the United Arab Emirates.
According to a report published in the Daily Mail, ace all-rounder Ben Stokes is likely to miss the showpiece tournament after already taking a call to skip the second half of IPL 2021.
Stokes won’t turn up for Rajasthan Royals when the IPL 14, which was postponed in May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumes from September 19.
Notably, Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to prioritize his mental well-being and the report suggests that ‘he is not even thinking about cricket at the moment’.
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England are due to announce their squad for the T20 World Cup next Friday (September 10) and it remains to be seen if Stokes features in it.
For the marquee event, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has allowed participating nations to bring 15 players. The apex body had set September 10 as the deadline for the teams to submit their final squad.
After sustaining a finger injury in the first half of IPL 2021, Ben Stokes missed England's home Test series against New Zealand in July before he returned to captain the new-look ODI team to a 3-0 series win over Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Stokes' decision to take care of his mental health has been backed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this,” Ashley Giles, the Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, had said in a statement.
“Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments over the last 16 months has had a major impact on everyone’s wellbeing. Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future,” he further added.
