England's All-Rounder Ben Stokes Takes Indefinite Break From Cricket, To Prioritise Mental Wellbeing

Stokes has decided to give priority to his "mental well-being" as per the ECB statement. 

Image: AFP

London: England star all-rounder and the match winner of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Final, Ben Stokes has decided to take an indefinite break from international cricket. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was informed about this news. 

"Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing."

We're all with you, Stokesy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6HmEzmCxvw

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 30, 2021

Stokes has decided to give priority to his "mental well-being" as per the ECB statement. 

Let's take a look at what the ECB said in the statement:

"Stokes has withdrawn from England's Test squad ahead of the LV=Insurance Test series against India starting next week to prioritise his mental wellbeing and to rest his left index finger, which has not fully healed since his return to competitive cricket earlier this month": ECB

The ECB fully supports Ben's decision, and we will continue to help him during this period away from the game. Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Ashley Giles, said:

"Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing.
 
"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."

Official Statement: Ben Stokes

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 30, 2021

Ben Stokes is currently playing in The Hundred and was recently seen during the match between Trent Rockets and Northern Superchargers. Stokes was considered as an average player for the first two years after making his debut for England in 2011. In the year 2013, the aggressive hard-hitting batsman showcased his true class and scored 120 runs in the fourth innings of his Test career. Stokes never looked back from there and continues to dominate world cricket.

The highlight of Ben Stokes' career was the innings that he played against New Zealand in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Although