{"id":198921,"date":"2026-07-31T17:20:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198921"},"modified":"2026-07-31T17:20:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:50:55","slug":"rob-key-hints-at-ben-stokes-return-for-ashes-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198921","title":{"rendered":"Rob Key hints at Ben Stokes return for Ashes next year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-body-71290782\">England men\u2019s cricket team director Rob Key on Friday said he does not rule out the return of Ben Stokes, who announced his international retirement last month, for next year\u2019s Ashes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would be a brilliant story if he does [come back]. He hasn\u2019t [indicated a change in his decision], but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised. Anything is possible with Ben,\u201d Key was quoted by        <i>Sky Sports<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Stokes had shocked England when he announced his decision to step away from the team during its third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. He had been leading the side since 2022 and said \u201che did not have any more fight left\u201d in him.<\/p>\n<p>The all-rounder was also in news for the wrong reasons as he flouted a midnight curfew rule, for which he was handed a one-match suspension<\/p>\n<p>However, Key added that there was no acrimony over how Stokes announced his exit. \u201cNo, not at all. Not as far as I\u2019m concerned,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Ashes is set to commence in less than 12 months time and England have not held the urn since 2017-18. It last won a series in 2015, when the Alastair Cook-led side won 3-2 at home.<\/p>\n<p>Stokes\u2019 return would boost England\u2019s hopes on finally reclaiming the Ashes at home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"publish-time\" id=\"end-of-article\">Published on Jul 31, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sportstar.thehindu.com\/cricket\/ben-stokes-international-retirement-comeback-rob-key-comments-ashes-2027\/article71290782.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>England men\u2019s cricket team director Rob Key on Friday said he does not rule out the return of Ben Stokes, who announced his international retirement last month, for next year\u2019s Ashes. \u201cIt would be a brilliant story if he does [come back]. He hasn\u2019t [indicated a change in his decision], but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":198922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T141343Z_1502349872_UP1EM6T13ITZH_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":198812,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198812","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":0},"title":"Ben Stokes should return for \u2018one more Ashes\u2019: Australia coach McDonald","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Australia coach Andrew McDonald says Ben Stokes has \u201ca lot of good cricket left in him\u201d and believes England\u2019s new Test coach should lure him of international retirement for the Ashes. The all-rounder called it quits in extraordinary fashion during the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cricket_T20_World_Cup_Short_Staffed_Aussies_31425.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cricket_T20_World_Cup_Short_Staffed_Aussies_31425.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cricket_T20_World_Cup_Short_Staffed_Aussies_31425.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cricket_T20_World_Cup_Short_Staffed_Aussies_31425.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cricket_T20_World_Cup_Short_Staffed_Aussies_31425.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":193717,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=193717","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":1},"title":"Stokes set to play for Durham in One-Day Cup in first match after England retirement","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In what will be his first competitive match since announcing his international retirement, Ben Stokes will turn out for Durham against Derbeyshire in the opening round of the One-Day Cup starting on Tuesday, July 21. Stokes shocked the cricketing world when he announced his retirement from all formats of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T133517Z_1961522001_UP1EM6T11QSXQ_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T133517Z_1961522001_UP1EM6T11QSXQ_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T133517Z_1961522001_UP1EM6T11QSXQ_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T133517Z_1961522001_UP1EM6T11QSXQ_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-29T133517Z_1961522001_UP1EM6T11QSXQ_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195282,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195282","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":2},"title":"Ben Stokes scores century in first match since international retirement","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ben Stokes scored a century for Durham against Derbyshire in his first match since his international retirement. Stokes raised his ton from 116 deliveries, and finished unbeaten on 108 from 123 balls with 10 fours and three sixes as Durham won by five wickets with five balls to spare.BEN STOKES\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HNw3tffWEAE5jdP.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HNw3tffWEAE5jdP.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HNw3tffWEAE5jdP.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HNw3tffWEAE5jdP.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HNw3tffWEAE5jdP.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":193431,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=193431","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":3},"title":"Brook upbeat about England ODI form amid Test captaincy uncertainty","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Harry Brook was adamant England\u2019s white-ball cricket was \u201cheading in the right direction\u201d after another chastening one-day international loss saw India enjoy a six-wicket success at Edgbaston on Tuesday. But England\u2019s limited-overs captain was rather more reserved when asked about the possibility of succeeding Ben Stokes as Test skipper, saying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-14T175318Z_148835798_UP1EM7E1DOTET_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ODI-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-14T175318Z_148835798_UP1EM7E1DOTET_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ODI-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-14T175318Z_148835798_UP1EM7E1DOTET_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ODI-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-14T175318Z_148835798_UP1EM7E1DOTET_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ODI-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-14T175318Z_148835798_UP1EM7E1DOTET_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ODI-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":193200,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=193200","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":4},"title":"Bazball \u2014 the myth that ultimately ate the method","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The thing about rock and roll is that it\u2019s a feeling. After four years and 49 Tests, red-ball cricket\u2019s favourite (or least-favourite) rock and roll act has parted ways. First to go was captain Ben Stokes, who announced his international retirement in the middle of his final Test against New\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-28T183545Z_1270323428_UP1EM6S1FNJDB_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-28T183545Z_1270323428_UP1EM6S1FNJDB_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-28T183545Z_1270323428_UP1EM6S1FNJDB_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-28T183545Z_1270323428_UP1EM6S1FNJDB_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-28T183545Z_1270323428_UP1EM6S1FNJDB_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-ENG-NZL.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":198909,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=198909","url_meta":{"origin":198921,"position":5},"title":"Indians in County Cricket \u2014 Kuldeep continues good run with Ben Stokes\u2019 wicket, Ashutosh picks fifer for Hampshire","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Kuldeep Yadav continued his wicket-taking spree in the One-Day Cup, England\u2019s List A tournament, on Friday as he picked two more wickets for Yorkshire against Durham. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Durham could only post 165 runs on the board. Kuldeep picked the wickets of Ben Stokes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HOZb95fW0AAibDB.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HOZb95fW0AAibDB.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HOZb95fW0AAibDB.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HOZb95fW0AAibDB.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HOZb95fW0AAibDB.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-PKp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=198921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/198922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=198921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=198921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=198921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}