Ben Stokes he responded to the criticism of England more Ian Botham with a tongue-in-cheek post on social media after announcing his retirement from international cricket.Stokes, who retired from international cricket in the Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand last month, was the subject of light-hearted commentary from Botham on the Test Match Special podcast. Reflecting on Stokes’ retirement, Botham joked that the England captain had joined an exclusive club. “As we know Michael Vaughan & I. We don’t know what we’re talking about. A number of older groups have been present. “Ben, if you’re listening, thank you for joining the team. Now you’ve done it,” Botham said. Stokes quickly responded with an X, referring to a famous phrase often uttered by Botham himself. “The saying ‘It is better to have been than to have never been’ comes from Lord Ian Botham,” Stokes wrote.
Photo by Ben Stokes
The exchange comes shortly after Botham criticized Stokes following an incident in which England captain and fast bowler Gus Atkinson broke the midnight curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the first Test against New Zealand. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Botham questioned Stokes’ decision and said he was disappointed by the episode, especially given the support he had shown in the past at a difficult time in his career. “Some people don’t learn, right? It’s as simple as that. We as a team, when they had problems in Bristol, we stood by Ben Stokes, and I stood by him as chairman, but I can’t see how you can justify what happened after the game,” said Botham. Stokes retired as one of England’s greatest ever players, culminating in a 15-year international career that included more than 250 appearances in all competitions and many memorable performances for his country.
