Ben Stokes set to play first match after international retirement
What's the story
Former England captain Ben Stokes is all set to feature in his first competitive game after retiring from international cricket. He will play for Durham in the opening round of matches in the One-Day Cup on Tuesday. This comes after an abrupt retirement announcement during England's third Test against New Zealand last month. As reported earlier, Stokes will continue to play in franchise cricket around the globe.
Comeback journey
Stokes's county stint reignited his passion for the sport
Stokes, 35, had missed the second Test match due to an investigation into a London nightclub incident. The former England captain, along with Gus Atkinson, reportedly broke England's midnight curfew.
However, during his time away from the England team, he played in Durham's County Championship match against Northamptonshire.
Despite admitting to having developed "negative feelings" about playing for England, Stokes said that his stint in county cricket revived his passion for the sport.
Plans
Next chapter in my cricket career, says Stokes
Stokes said he was excited about his next chapter in cricket, especially returning to play for his boyhood club Durham.
"I'm very excited about the next part of what I get to do," the former skipper told BBC Sport.
However, he also acknowledged some tough moments this week but felt they only reinforced that he'd made the right decision in his career path.
Match history
First one-day match for Durham in 12 years
The upcoming match at Derby will be Stokes's first domestic one-day match for Durham in 12 years, according to BBC Sport.
His last 50-over game for Durham was a win over Warwickshire in the 2014 One-Day Cup final.
The timing of his return coincides with the launch of The Hundred, a revamped version of a cricket tournament where stakes in eight franchises were sold to investors for about £520m.
Retirement
Stokes's stellar career
Stokes announced his international retirement on Day 4 of the Test series decider against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
While the all-rounder later opened in England's chase, the hosts lost by 160 runs.
Stokes concluded a stellar international career with 352 wickets from 279 matches at an average of 33.52. He also scored 11,321 runs at 35.15.
During his final game, Stokes became the second all-rounder to attain the Test double of 7,000 runs and 250 wickets, joining Jacques Kallis.