Ben Stokes Hits Back at Ian Botham’s Criticism

After legendary cricketer Ian Botham announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the Test series against New Zealand, former England captain Ben Stokes reacted.

A nightclub altercation between Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson resulted in the former permanently putting up his boots. Botham publicly stated his anger with the 35-year-old’s attitude off the pitch, and he was particularly offended by the incident.

On the BBC’s Test Match Special (TMS) radio platform, Botham also questioned England’s recent lack of effort and claimed that Stokes is no longer relevant.

“As we know, Michael Vaughan and I don’t know what we’re talking about. A couple of old has-beens. Ben Stokes, if you are listening, congratulations on joining the club. “You’re now a has-been,” Ian Botham said during Test Match Special.

Ben Stokes used Lord Ian Botham’s phrase, “It’s better to be a has-been than a never-been,” in response to a statement on X, which was previously Twitter.

Ben Stokes’ retirement was hardly the only casualty among England’s Test lineup.

Brendon McCullum left as the red-ball team’s coach a few weeks after the announcement, but he continued to work with captain Harry Brook in limited-overs cricket.

Andy Flower, Richard Dawson, and Kumar Sangakkara are among the candidates shortlisted for England’s current search for a new captain and coach to lead the team in the game’s longest version. Brook, the current vice-captain, is widely expected to succeed Stokes.

Ben Stokes, on the other hand, will represent Durham in the 2026 One Day Cup, which kicks off on July 21. The left-handed batsman will participate in his first List A encounter since England’s 2023 World Cup match against Pakistan.