Ben Stokes reveals he opted out of Indian Premier League auction to prolong England career

New Delhi: Captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he chose not to participate in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction in Jeddah to extend his England career. Stokes had previously played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, and was named the most valuable player of the tournament in 2017.

Stokes was a notable omission from the list of England players in the auction, and under new rules, if he had pulled out after being acquired by a team in the mega auction, provided it was for legitimate reasons, he would not have been eligible to participate in the next two seasons of the competition.

“(There is) just so much cricket. There’s no hiding behind the fact that I’m at the back-end of my career. I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that.

“(It is about) prioritising games and when I do play - obviously I’m in South Africa this year - so it’s about looking at what I’ve got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can,” said Stokes to BBC Sport ahead of England’s Test series opener against New Zealand in Christchurch.

For the upcoming match, England have handed debut to left-hander Jacob Bethell, who will bat at number three. The side currently sits at sixth place in the ongoing World Test Championship points table and are out of contention for reaching the final, to be held at Lord’s next year. IANS

Also Read: Ben Stokes Out of England's First Test Against Pakistan Due to Torn Hamstring Recovery

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