Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has now reacted to Stokes' sabbatical and told Sky Sports: "It must be a very, very tough time for Ben and his family. It won't be a decision made easily but (it) brings into focus the level elite players play at -- your coping mechanism can only deal with so much. He further opined, "A lot of time away from home, in bubbles, restrictions in terms of freedom of movement, then the added pressures of performing at such a high level in the public eye. "He added, "We've had a host of elite athletes who've spoken about mental wellbeing and the effects of Covid and the pressure around it, and of course pressure in the limelight, that have led to them making some very tough decisions."
Ben Stokes had spent a major portion of last year away from his family, living in the bio-bubbles of Test and white-ball England side and for a few weeks in India during the IPL 2021 before he returned home with a finger injury. He has also been dealing with the passing away of his father, Ged, last year in New Zealand after suffering from brain cancer. Earlier, the all-rounder was fast-tracked to play for Durham in the Blast due to a Covid-19 outbreak in their second XI squad. Ben Stoke then was called up to captain a second-string England team against Pakistan in an ODI series, which the hosts won 3-0, after the originally picked squad was hit by the virus. England will be significantly weakened in the absence of Ben Stokes – they lost to New Zealand last month without the all-rounder. Somerset’s Craig Overton has been announced as Stokes’ replacement.
