Ben Stokes is to be missed the hundred while concentrating on his work as England Test Captaingive a blow to the ECB’s flagship competition.
Stokes is also reassured from the Twenty20 series against South Africa leading up to the Hundred as England manage their workload and put Test cricket first after a flying start from his captaincy.
Stokes withdrew from the IPL earlier this year to prepare for the summer of testing and as captain putting everything into his new job, England have recognized he needs protection and time. It’s only been a year since he was forced to take a break for his sanity after playing all formats for years.
Stokes’ absence denies the Hundred one of the most recognizable cricketers in the country and comes after the ECB arranged a two-week period for Test players to appear for their franchises.
The Hundred will start on 3 August, almost a fortnight before the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s on 17 August. The unofficial 100th window in the schedule allows England’s Test players to potentially play the first 10 days before they begin preparations for the Test series against South Africa, but Stokes has decided he needs a break rather than before the Northern Superchargers to play.
Next summer, the Ashes will be almost ready before the Hundred starts, giving the English players the freedom to brighten up the competition. Whiteball stars such as Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy can play the entire tournament this year, with England’s one-day cricket on July 31.
Stokes’ Durham teammate Matthew Potts has been called up for the ODI series next week against South Africa and could make his debut on Tuesday at his home ground, the Riverside.
Potts has been included in a white-ball cricket squad for the first time after a solid start to his Test career and although England’s bowlers dominated India at Lord’s on Thursday, management recognizes it needs to expand its player pool. Potts was originally earmarked by the selectors as a white ball bowler for his County Championship success early this season.