Melbourne, July 29 (IANS) Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes attempts could be made to coax Ben Stokes out of retirement for next year’s Ashes

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 comeback

Speaking 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 of hype on the way in. If you’re looking at promoting that series, that’s probably the angle that you would want, ” McDonald said. McDonald added that he still believes the England all-rounder has enough left in the tank to compete at the highest level.“To me, he’s still got a lot of good cricket left in him. It’ll be fascinating to see what happens,” he added.

New England coach could try to change his mind

Following Stokes’ retirement, England also parted ways with Brendon McCullum as Test head coach, despite the former New Zealand captain reportedly trying to convince him to continue. McDonald feels the appointment of a new Test coach could reopen the conversation.“Whoever the new head coach is may have a conversation with him. We don’t know the definitive reason behind his retirement. He may have simply decided his Test journey was over, but there could also be an opportunity for someone to persuade him to return, ” McDonald opined. Stokes had explained at the time that retiring from Test cricket was “the best thing for me right now,” although McDonald believes there is still room for a change of heart.Retirement followed controversyStokes’ decision came after a turbulent end to his England career. Following England’s victory in the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test after reportedly breaching the team’s curfew by visiting a pub. While neither player was directly involved in an altercation that left a member of the team’s security staff injured, both were disciplined by the England management.The pair returned for the final Test, with Stokes apologising to teammates before announcing that it would be his last appearance in Test cricket. Since retiring, the all-rounder has continued to play domestic one-day cricket for Durham and recently marked his return with a rapid century, suggesting he still has plenty to offer on the field.

Ben Stokes’ Test career in numbers