Ben Stokes
(Picture: PA)Cricketer Ben Stokes has received mass support from fans after he announced he is taking an “indefinite” break from cricket to prioritise his mental health.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday evening that Stokes will play no part in the forthcoming Test series against India. As well as stepping back for the sake of his mental wellbeing, he also needs to rest his injured left index finger, which has not fully healed since his return to competitive cricket.
Stokes also took a period of compassionate leave between August and October last year, missing two Tests, to be with his father Ged, who died in December.
Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket said in a statement:
“Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings.
“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.
“Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments has had a major impact on everyone. Ben will be given as long as he needs and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future.”
Reacting to the announcement, people expressed their support for the cricketer:
Wishing @benstokes38 a speedy recovery. When our sporting heroes are brave and open up about their mental health problems it will help others realise that they are not alone with theirs. As we’ve seen over the last few days no one is invincible. Well played and good luck, Ben. https://t.co/tXPnsihINf
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) July 30, 2021
Beat wishes to Ben Stokes. I hope his mental health issues get sorted out as quickly as possible and without any criticism.
— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) July 30, 2021
With Ben Stokes & other athletes/cricketers now taking breaks for #mentalhealth & their well-being (rightly so) I wonder if any of us in india would ever dare to speak up,kyuki “log kya kahenge”(how will people react).In fact this is still a taboo in 🇮🇳 to talk about it.
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) July 31, 2021
Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles & Ben Stokes, 3 world beaters, athletes at the top of their game taking time off & focusing on mental health. I sincerely hope they get the help they need & feel better about everything. It's pleasing to see them addressing the issue. So much to learn.
— Manas Singh (@menacesingh) July 30, 2021
Meanwhile, Stokes is the latest high-profile athlete, following Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, to prioritise mental wellbeing over competition.
Well done to them for setting such a good example.
