England all-rounder Ben Stokes is reportedly “increasingly unlikely” to travel with England for their Ashes tour in Australia later this year.
Stokes, who has played a handful of limited overs games in 2021, has been taking an extended break from the game to recover from a finger injury, and to preserve his mental health.
According to The Telegraph, Stokes is still a chance of playing in the Ashes, however it’s understood England’s 2023 tour of the West Indies is more likely.
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Players are yet to be informed about the quarantine requirements for the Ashes, with members of the team given the option of opting out.
England have expressed serious concerns about the conditions the team will be forced to live under during the Ashes, creating doubt about the series going ahead as planned.
Stokes received the full support of the England Cricket Board after announcing he would be stepping away from the game to focus on his mental health.
“Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing,” Managing director Ashley Giles said.
“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.
“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.”
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