Ben Stokes has given his clearest indication yet that he intends to try and extend his Test career until the 2027 Ashes.
To bet on the World Cup with our Match Centre Partners bet365 head here.
Stokes’ fitness is a long-running concern among England fans, with a chronic knee issue limiting him to being just a batter at points during the 2023 Ashes. The England Test captain has overseen a dramatic change in his side’s fortunes, but given he is 32 years old, and that he will have plenty of offers on the T20 circuit, it has not been clear how long to expect Stokes to carry on for.
The 2025/26 Ashes in Australia – where Stokes has never won a Test series – looked to be one natural stopping point, but the all-rounder has now confirmed he hopes to play for up to four more years, which would take him to the conclusion of the 2027 Ashes series in England.
“I’ve never been one to map out how many runs or wickets I want,” he told the Telegraph. “Now that I’m 32, I’m very realistic that things will come to an end at some point. But I have my eyes set on something I want to be a part of for the next three to four years.”
Stokes’ knee remains a worry, and it had been thought that he would attempt to sort the issue between the end of the 2023 Ashes and England’s next Test engagement, against India in early 2024. His ODI retirement reversal to play in the upcoming World Cup means a definitive solution to the injury will have to wait, but he told BBC he has “a very good plan” to resolve the issue after the global event.
“There’s actually quite a long time off after the World Cup,” he said ahead of his ODI comeback. “I’ve been having some good conversations with some specialists [about] rehab and physios, the surgeons, the guys who know what they are doing. There is a plan in place. I know what’s going to happen; I just don’t think now is the right time to say what I’m doing.
“When we do what we need to do to give myself a chance of getting back to being a genuine all-rounder, there will be a time when I can say what I’m doing. We have got a very good plan in place. I want to be playing next summer as a genuine all-rounder; this winter is all about playing this World Cup, then getting this knee sorted.”
