Ben Stokes: England Test captain discusses the future of cricket with Lord Botham
They are two titans of English cricket - Ian Botham and Ben Stokes.
As part of his appearance as guest editor on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, Lord Botham spoke to Stokes about his mission to transform Test cricket, the rise of the white-ball game, their heroic performances at Headingley and the importance of prioritising your mental health.
Test cricket has been threatened by the rise in popularity of shorter formats of the game, most notably T20s, which offer players the chance to earn bigger sums playing in franchise leagues across the globe. The schedule has become more congested, with some players forced to choose which formats to play. Stokes himself retired from one-day international cricket in July, saying playing three formats was "unsustainable". He went on to help England win the T20 World Cup in November.
Stokes has grown used to comparisons with Botham, particularly after his astonishing 135 not out guided England from the brink of defeat to a sensational victory against Australia at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes, 38 years after similar heroics by Botham led England to victory against the same opponents at the same ground."I've got lots of great memories of Headingley. But I also had Bob Willis, who took 8-43.
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