ENG vs SA: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on August 17, 2022, announced the FTP (Future Tour Program) scheduled for 2023-27. According to the latest FTP issued by the ICC, India, Australia, and England will play a total of 63 Test matches out of which England with 22 Test matches will play the most number of matches. The ICC has been under heavy criticism for some time for giving a free hand to franchise cricket, especially the Indian Premier League. Cricket broadcaster like Nasser Hussain earlier had spoken about the pressure that the players are enduring and has called the English cricket schedule a joke. On the contrary, player-turned-broadcaster Ravi Shastri has called for an end to mindless bilateral series and feels that international cricket should only return when there is a world cup.
Stokes celebrates with broad
Earlier this year, English all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his retirement from the 50-over format and blamed the English cricket calendar as a motivating factor behind this decision. For many years now, Stokes has been a talismanic figure in English Cricket and has been a part of many iconic moments in their history. Stokes who won the World Cup in 2019 and enjoyed a dream run in the same year opened up about how his body wasn't prepared to play three formats as he solely wants to focus on Test cricket. Coincidentally, to manage workload issues, Stokes has also said that his participation in the Indian Premier League remains doubtful and only time will tell if he throws his name into the auction or not.
Joe Root and Ben Stokes share a light moment
Under the guidance of Brendon McCullum, Stokes has been handed over the reins of English red-ball cricket and as of now, it seems that he has brought about a much-required change in the English Test setup. Recently, in an interview, Stokes spoke his mind out and did not mince his words when asked about his opinion on the international cricketing calendar.
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"The schedule is extremely jam-packed, with absolutely little or no breathing space for international players. It is just wrong, how the matches have been scheduled. It feels like a joke but on the flip side, I certainly know that I can't play these many matches on my own. The fact that few series are scheduled to overlap each other is just ridiculous and it does not give ample time for the athletes to rest. To have a red-ball series and a white-ball series going on at the same time just blows my mind away", said Ben Stokes.
Ben Stokes playing against India in 2022
England is currently taking on South Africa in a three-match Test series. The Proteas team led by Dean Elgar blew England off in the first Test match, but now the visitors have a job at their hands to turn things around and push the series towards a decider.
