England all-rounder Ben Stokes will take an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a press release on Friday. Stokes has withdrawn from the Test squad that would face India starting next week, the board confirmed. 

One of England’s finest players from the current crop, Ben Stokes, according to the ECB has decided to prioritise his mental wellbeing and to rest his left index finger. The 30-year-old had sustained an injury during IPL 2021. He returned to competitive cricket earlier this month and also led a young English side in a white-ball series against Babar Azam’s Pakistan. 

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The ECB said that it fully supports Stokes’ decision and will continue to help him during this period away from the game.

“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,” Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Ashley Giles, said.

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“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,” he added.

“Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future.”

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Ben Stokes had skipped England’s tour of South Africa last year to take care of his father in New Zealand. His father, Gerard Stokes, died of brain cancer in December. 

Stokes will be replaced in the squad by Somerset’s Craig Overton. There is no official word on his participation in the T20 World Cup to be held in the UAE and Oman later this year.