Why Australia coach is dreaming of Ben Stokes' 'fairytale' return for Ashes
Australia cricket coach Andrew McDonald has expressed a desire for Ben Stokes to come out of Test retirement for the 2027 Ashes series. McDonald believes such a return would create a compelling narrative for the historic rivalry.
Why it matters
The Ashes is one of the most significant events in international cricket, and speculation regarding star players impacts fan engagement and media coverage.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the perfect build-up to the 2027 Ashes would be Ben Stokes making a dramatic return from Test retirement, admitting it would create a "fairytale" storyline for one of cricket's biggest rivalries.Stokes called time on his Test career earlier this year after England's home series defeat against New Zealand, bringing an end to an eventful tenure as captain. His retirement followed a controversial period that also saw him suspended for the second Test of that series before returning for the finale and announcing his decision to step away from the longest format.McDonald hopes for a fairytale Ashes comebackSpeaking to SEN Radio, McDonald said the prospect of Stokes returning for one final Ashes campaign in England would be the ideal narrative ahead of the blockbuster series."The fairytale would be that he comes back out of retirement and takes on one more Ashes and builds a lot…
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