Stokes striving for atonement with England and focusing on Test career

The outpouring of grief at the untimely death of Shane Warne has perhaps contained a partial lament at the passing of a golden age of Test cricket. At a time when career options for players are myriad and the shortest format is so lucrative, its primacy continues to be challenged. Yet the lure still remains for many.

Just ask Ben Stokes, who after weighing up another unforgiving schedule this year has shouldered arms to the Indian Premier League – and a likely seven-figure pay day, going by the all-rounder’s previous value – to focus on his Test career and the vice-captaincy of an ailing England team.

There is an element of atonement at play here also. Stokes departed Australia after this winter’s 4-0 Ashes defeat frustrated by his inability to rediscover the magic of 2019 and is now seeking to reassert himself during the three-match series against West Indies that begins at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Tuesday.

“I had a chance to have a good look at things going forward and when it came down to it, the real thing that got me excited out of all three formats was Test cricket,” said Stokes, after England’s drawn four-day warm-up match against a CWI President’s XI at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday.

“That was a big decision to come out of the IPL, to make sure that I was able to give everything I possibly could to this Test team. There’s a massive summer ahead, a lot of cricket to play and you just have to look at the schedules at times and think what’s the most important thing – and Test cricket is the most important for me.

“Looking back on Australia, we’ve had some honest reflections not only as a team but individuals as well. I personally felt I let the team down with more than just performances: