The sporting community’s response has been to fully support England player Ben Stokes, who has taken an indefinite break from the sport to focus on his “mental health”.
The time away from cricket will also help Stokes rest his left index finger, which was performed in April and has not fully healed since returning earlier this month.
The multi-skilled rider is set to miss the upcoming ICC World Test Championship against India, with Craig Overton selected as his replacement.
Ashley Giles, managing director of men’s cricket for England, praised Stokes for showing the courage to open up about mental health. It was a sentiment matched by notable names from all over the world in cricket as well as other sports.
A few of them are below:
I hope @benstokes38 All the best for his time away from the game. Perhaps it is a timely reminder that, no matter how flexible or ‘mentally difficult’ they may be, the past two years have been challenging for everyone for many different reasons. Be a little nice to each other 🙂
– Jimmy Nesham (@imJimmyNeesh) 30 July 2021
Oh my God, I didn’t expect that, I remember my best friend Tweet embed Talk about it. newly Tweet embed You talked about this being a very real thing in times of COVID-19
Quarantine and the life of bubbles is not easy. I promise you. Looks easy because of the luxury but the battle is inside https://t.co/e3JxGlQ1vE
– DK (@inDineshKarthik) 30 July 2021
I hope @benstokes38 Speedy recovery. When our sports heroes are brave and open about their mental health issues, it will help others realize that they are not alone with their problems. As we’ve seen over the past few days, no one is invincible. Well played and good luck, Ben. https://t.co/tXPnsihINf
– Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) 30 July 2021
Ben Stokes’ withdrawal from the pilot series is big news. It is almost impossible to replace it. Many elite athletes are affected.
– bhogleharsha 30 July 2021
He would like a win to Ben Stokes. I hope his mental health issues are resolved as quickly as possible and without any criticism.
– Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) 30 July 2021
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