Why Australia’s coach dreams of Ben Stokes’ ‘fairytale’ return for one last Ashes Cricket News:

Melbourne, July 29 (IANS) Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes that attempts will be made to lure Ben Stokes out of retirement for next year’s Ashes.

Australian head coach Andrew McDonald believes the perfect build for the 2027 Ashes is Ben Stokes: made a dramatic comeback from Test retirement, admitting it would create a “fairytale” storyline for one of cricket’s greatest rivals.Stokes called time on his Test career earlier this year after England’s series defeat against New Zealand, ending a significant tenure as captain. His retirement follows a controversial period that also saw him suspended for the second Test of the series before returning for the final and announcing his decision to quit the top 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 was the ideal narrative ahead of the blockbuster series.“The fairytale is that he came back from retirement and took another Ashes and built a lot of hype going in. McDonald added that he still believes the England all-rounder has enough left in the tank to compete at the highest level.“For me, he still has a lot of good cricket left in him. It will be interesting to see what happens,” he added.

The New England coach may try to change his mind

After Stokes’ retirement, England also parted ways with: Brendon McCullum as Test head coach, although the former New Zealand captain is reportedly trying to convince him to continue. McDonald feels the appointment of a new Test coach could reopen the conversation.“Whoever is the new head coach can have a conversation with him. We don’t know the exact reason for his retirement. He may have just decided that his Test journey is over, but there may also be an opportunity for someone to persuade him to return,” said McDonald. Stokes explained at the time that retiring from Test cricket was “the best thing for me right now,” although McDonald believed there was still room for a change of heart.Retirement follows 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 reportedly breaching the team’s curfew by visiting a pub. While neither player was directly involved in an altercation that left a member of the team’s security staff injured, both were disciplined 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 brisk century, suggesting he still has a lot to offer on the field.

Ben Stokes’ Test career in numbers