Durham Cricket has announced an extension of the contract with the all-rounder Ben Stokes for three years. The new deal will run until the end of the 2024 County Championship season.
After missing the majority of 2021 to balance his mental health and to heal his broken finger, the southpaw made a comeback recently into the national side in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane. One of the finest all-rounders in the world has represented England in 101 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He played 73 Tests in which he scored 4650 runs at an average of 36.61 and also took 165 wickets.
The all-rounder made his Durham County Championship debut against Essex in 2010. Stokes has tasted the County Championship success in 2013 and was also player of the match in the final of their 2014 One-Day Cup triumph. Overall, he has featured in 64 first-class games for the club, scoring 3611 runs, with a best of 185 against Lancashire.
Stokes expressed his feelings by saying that he is delighted to commit to a further three years with Durham. He said, “I have had some fantastic memories playing for the club over the years and I look forward to experiencing more of this in the future.”
Durham’s Director of Cricket, Marcus North added, “Ben is one of the finest players in the world and while we may not see him as much as we would like, his influence around the club remains huge.
“It’s fantastic to see Ben back fit and well following his time away from the game and now back playing for England in the Ashes. We are extremely happy that Ben has agreed his future to Durham for a further three years.”
With Stokes currently being busy with the Ashes, it is unlikely that he will be available for Durham for most of the season. He has only made three appearances in the past five years.