Why Aussie coach dreams of ‘fairy tale’ return for Ben Stokes for final Ashes

Melbourne, July 29 (IANS) Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes an attempt could be made to talk Ben Stokes out of retirement for next year’s Ashes. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the perfect build-up to Ashes 2027 would be Ben Stokes’ dramatic return from Test retirement, admitting it would create a “fairytale” story for one of cricket’s greatest rivalries.Stokes called time on his Test career earlier this year following England’s home series defeat to New Zealand, ending a busy spell as captain. His retirement followed a controversial spell in which he was also suspended for the second Test of the series before returning for the final and announcing his decision to retire from the longest format.

McDonald is hoping for a fairytale Ashes comeback

Speaking to SEN Radio, McDonald said the prospect of Stokes returning for one final Ashes campaign in England would be an ideal story ahead of the sensational series.“The fairy tale would be that he comes out of retirement and takes another Ash and creates a lot of hype on the way in. If you’re looking at promoting this series, that’s probably the angle you’d want,” McDonald said. McDonald added that he still believes the England all-rounder has enough in the tank to compete at the highest level.“I think he still has a lot of good cricket left in him. It will be fascinating to see what happens,” he added.

The New England coach could try to change his mind

Following Stokes’ retirement, England also parted ways with Brendon McCullum as Test head coach, despite the former New Zealand captain reportedly trying to convince him to continue. McDonald believes the appointment of a new Test coach could reopen the conversation.“Whoever the new head coach is, he can talk to him. We don’t know the definitive reason for his retirement. He may just have decided his Test journey is over, but there could also be an opportunity for someone to convince him to come back,” McDonald said. Stokes explained at the time that retiring from Test cricket was “the best thing for me right now”, although McDonald believes there is still room for a change of heart.The retirement followed controversyStokes’ decision came after a turbulent end to his England career. Following England’s victory in the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test after allegedly breaching the team curfew by visiting a pub. While neither player was directly involved in the altercation, which left a member of the team’s security staff injured, both were punished by England management.The pair returned for the final Test, with Stokes apologizing to his teammates before announcing that it would be his last appearance in Test cricket. Since retiring, the all-rounder has continued to play domestic one-day cricket for Durham and recently marked his return with a quick-fire century, suggesting he still has a lot to offer on the field.

Ben Stokes’ Test career by the numbers

CategoryRecordMatches122Runs7273Batting Average34.46Highest Score258Test Century14Wickets252Bowling Average30.98Best Bowling6/22Five-wicket hauls6Catches115