Former England cricket captain Ben Stokes will take part in the upcoming Big Bash League season after signing with the Adelaide Strikers, the team has confirmed.<\/p>\n
The all-rounder’s move had been tipped earlier in the week, but has now been locked in by the Strikers, who said they were looking forward to capitalising on Stokes’s “world-class talent” and ability to put in “match-winning performances with both bat and ball”.<\/p>\n
Stokes retired from international cricket in June, a decision that caused shock waves when it was revealed during a Test match<\/a>.<\/p>\n His arrival in Adelaide will follow a previous BBL stint, at the Melbourne Renegades in 2015.<\/p>\n “Ben is one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen, a proven match-winner and a competitor who thrives under pressure,” Adelaide head coach Tim Paine said in a statement released by the Strikers.<\/p>\n “We’re thrilled to have a player of his ability join our squad.”<\/p>\n In the same statement, Stokes said the opportunity to join the Strikers was one he “couldn’t pass up”.<\/p>\n “Adelaide Oval is an incredible place to play cricket, the Big Bash is a fantastic competition and the Strikers have an exciting group,” he said.<\/p>\n “I can’t wait to get started, create some special memories with the group and give Strikers fans plenty to cheer about.”<\/p>\n Stokes \u2014 who made his Test debut in Adelaide in 2013 \u2014 will be available for the full BBL summer, the Strikers said.<\/p>\n The hard-hitting, fast-bowling all-rounder captained the England side that was widely expected to challenge Australia for the Ashes in the 2025\/26 summer, but was defeated 4-1.<\/p>\n His decision to quit international cricket was revealed<\/a> shortly before the tea break on day four of the third Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge.<\/p>\n During the series, Stokes made front-page news after being dropped by England for the second Test<\/a> amid an investigation following a night out with a teammate after the first Test at Lord’s<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old is widely recognised as one of the most impactful and talismanic cricketers of the current era, and scored more than 11,000 international runs across T20, ODI and Test formats.<\/p>\n His match-winning performances have included a whirlwind 135 not out against Australia at Headingley in 2019, which steered England to an astonishing one-wicket triumph, and a rearguard 84 not out against New Zealand in the World Cup final the same summer.<\/p>\n