‘Better to have been than never to have been’: Ben Stokes takes another shot at Ian Botham

Ben Stokes has responded to criticism from England great Ian Botham on social media as he announced his retirement from international cricket.Stokes, who retired from international cricket during the Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand last month, was the subject of a light-hearted remark from Botham on the Test Match Special podcast. Recalling Stokes’ retirement, Botham joked that the England captain had now joined an exclusive club. “How we know Michael Vaughan and I. We don’t know what we’re talking about. A couple of old buggers.” “Ben, if you’re listening to congratulations, you’ve joined the club. Now you were,” Botham said. Stokes quickly responded to X by referring to a famous quote often attributed to Botham himself. “The quote ‘It is better to have been than never to have been’ is from Lord Ian Botham,” Stokes wrote.

contributed by Ben Stokes

The replacement came shortly after Botham publicly criticized Stokes following an incident in which England captain and fast bowler Gus Atkinson broke the team’s midnight curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the first Test against New Zealand. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Botham questioned Stokes’ judgement, saying he was disappointed by the episode, particularly given the support he had previously shown the all-rounder during difficult moments in his career. “Some people just don’t learn, do they? It’s that simple. We as a club when he was struggling at Bristol stood by Ben Stokes and I stood by him as chairman but I really don’t see how you can justify what happened after the game,” Botham said. Stokes retired as one of England’s greatest all-rounders, bringing the curtain down on a 15-year international career that included more than 250 appearances across formats and numerous memorable appearances for his country.