Ben Stokes was Mr Grumpy in Pakistan but there was a hint of a smile back on his face at the end of the first day of the Test series against New Zealand after his side kept in touch with New Zealand despite being below their best.

Tea - New Zealand 193 for 3 (Williamson 77*, Mitchell 16*) vs England Kane Williamson blended grit and flourish in a fine innings of 77 from 161 balls, as New Zealand took advantage of a misleadingly placid deck to push along to 193 for 3 by tea on the first day of the first Test against England at Christchurch.

England test captain Ben Stokes says he opted out of the bidding in the Indian Premier League to prioritize playing international cricket in what he described as the "back end" of his career.

Captain Ben Stokes says he opted out of the Indian Premier League auction in order to prolong his England career.

Ben Stokes has revealed he did not enter the IPL mega auction to strip back his playing commitments as he attempts to prolong the twilight of his career. Stokes was a notable omission from the list of 52 Englishmen signed up for the mega auction in Jeddah for the 2025 competition.

England Test Captain Ben Stokes expressed his views on the ICC World Test Championship, terming it as 'utterly confusing.' Stokes emphasized that England focuses on each game individually rather than the long-term championship.

England skipper Ben Stokes dismissed the World Test Championship (WTC) concept, terming it "utterly confusing" and one he and his side don't focus on.

Ben Stokes claimed that England only take things "game by game, series by series", insisting their principles do not align with WTC format that is spread across two-year cycles.