The British Horseracing Authority expects to unveil the 2024 fixture list in mid-September, with approximately 160 new premier cards planned.
A shake-up of the racing calendar was announced in May, with the BHA outlining its aim to grow the sport’s reach, appeal to new fans and better engage existing customers in the hope it will generate extra revenues which will in turn boost prize money levels.
Part of the changes unveiled was the introduction of premier fixtures, which will offer higher prize money and feature better horses, with a two-hour slot on a majority of Saturday afternoons limited to two of the premier cards and one other meeting for a two-year trial period. Other fixtures scheduled on those days will have to start either earlier or later.
The 2024 fixture list is nearing publication, when details of what constitutes a premier fixture will be confirmed, and Richard Wayman, the BHA’s chief operating officer, thinks the number of premier fixtures planned indicates the desire of tracks to be involved.
He said: “If every racecourse continued their 2023 behaviour into 2024, we would have had about 115 or 117 premier fixtures that would effectively meet the criteria we’ve set.
“We are looking at the moment at around 160 premier fixtures in 2024, which I think gives an indication there is significant change in those fixtures, that racecourses are changing their behaviour and wanting to be part of staging premier fixtures.”
Wayman said around 20 premier fixtures are scheduled on Sundays, which represents “a reasonable step up in quality”, while details of a pilot for six Sunday evening meetings in the early part of the year on the Flat are being finalised.
Concerns have been raised that premier fixtures would result in less funding for lower-grade racing and Wayman added: “Part of creating premier fixtures involves investing more money.
“There is a combination of measures we are looking at as to how that extra money would be generated from requests to Levy, some redistribution of money into premier, but also asking the Levy Board for additional prize money support to support the strategy. The Levy Board doesn’t meet until September so they will consider that then.
“Racecourses are looking to invest some of their own revenues into these premier fixtures and in terms of wanting to stage some of these fixtures, they will be thinking about how they distribute their own budget across the year and one would imagine there will be some redistribution from within racecourse budgets too.”
During a media conference, the BHA’s director of communications and corporate affairs Greg Swift offered an update on ongoing work concerning Levy reform, with various pieces of work having been submitted in recent months and subsequent meetings held with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as “a sustainable Levy process” is sought going forward.
Swift also outlined the BHA’s response to proposed affordability checks for gamblers, saying “sweeping blanket checks” would be “unacceptable” whilst outlining a collective approach from across the industry to respond to the Gambling Commission’s consultation process on the matter.
Harry Kane insists he will relish the “new pressure” of challenging to win titles every year at Bayern Munich and knows success in Germany can put his name in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
It has been a whirlwind week for the England captain after he departed boyhood club Tottenham on Saturday for an initial £100million fee, which could rise to £120m with add-ons.
Kane made his Bayern debut later that same night in the DFL-Supercup but his wait for a first trophy goes on after RB Leipzig inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Bundesliga champions.
The 30-year-old is eager to add team success to a host of individual honours on his CV during his time in Munich.
“A lot of people talk about the trophies and why I came here, but ultimately it was to improve,” Kane told Sky Sports.
“To feel a new pressure of having to win titles every year, having to go far in the Champions League and pushing myself to that limit.
“I think if you’re winning games, winning titles, winning Champions Leagues and I’m the one playing up front, it more than likely means I am scoring goals so that allows you to win other individual awards.
“But that all comes from what you achieve as a team. That’s my focus first and foremost and that all starts on Friday.
“We have a long season ahead. A lot of pressure for Bayern Munich to win the league and go far in the Champions League. That is what I am excited to try and challenge myself with.”
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An outstanding 2017 resulted in Kane finishing 10th in the Ballon d’Or list but Spurs have endured a difficult few seasons since they made the Champions League final in 2019.
With Kane aware his chances of winning silverware were reducing at Tottenham, the forward made the decision to leave the north London club after a 19-year association.
He hinted part of the decision to leave Spurs was to play in the Champions League and have no regrets at the end of his career.
Kane added: “If you’re winning your league, winning the Champions League and we obviously have the European Championship next summer as well, I think as we’ve seen with the Ballon d’Or, you have to be winning team trophies to achieve that.
“Yeah, if I am scoring goals and we’re winning trophies then of course that will come into question, but it is not really what my focus is on right now.
“I’ve always said throughout my whole career I never want to retire and feel like I could have done more or pushed myself more. That was a big part of the decision-making coming here.
“I felt like to improve and to get better I had to be playing at the highest level.
“Of course I want to win every competition that I play in, that’s the goal every season but when you finish your career, you want to make sure you pushed yourself to the limits and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown remains on course for a sizzling clash with Paddington and Mostahdaf in next week’s Juddmonte International having come through his latest gallop in good style.
The four-year-old was put through his paces by Ryan Moore, who will be on Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington on the Knavesmire, in a spin on Wednesday morning.
Desert Crown has only been seen once since his Epsom victory, when he lost his unbeaten record in finishing second to Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May.
He was then a late absentee from the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with familiar adversary Hukum taking home the Ascot showpiece.
“Desert Crown worked this morning, he worked nicely and everybody was happy with him,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail.
“He’s not a great worker, as has been stated before, but everyone was very happy with him this morning and everything went as well as expected.”
William Buick had been announced as his jockey in the King George before he was ruled out, but he is expected to be aboard next week.
“William didn’t ride him. Ryan Moore rode him this morning. He’s ridden him a lot of times at home and Sir Michael just sometimes likes a different opinion,” Raymond went on.
“It’s really shaping up into a great race. One thing I can definitely tell you is this horse needed it badly at Sandown, it wasn’t said at the time but Michael was quite surprised how much he was blowing afterwards.
“He had worked on the grass but nowhere near as much as we would have liked as it kept on pouring down.
“Having spoken to Richard Hills (assistant racing manager for Shadwell, owners of Hukum), their horse had been working really, really well for a long time, so we met a very fit horse that day and he’s gone on to prove again he is a very good horse as he’s one of the favourites for the Arc.
“We’re looking forward to next week. Where else could you take a horse like that? He’s got to go somewhere and when you are in his class, there are only certain races you can run in.”
Lauren Hemp’s second-half strike helped fire England into their first World Cup final as the Lionesses sealed a 3-1 victory over co-hosts Australia in front of a sold-out crowd in Sydney.
Ella Toone, who replaced the suspended Lauren James for England’s quarter-final win over Colombia, netted 36 minutes into her second start of the tournament in front of a crowd of 75,784.
Australia captain Sam Kerr, making her first start of competition, equalised for the first-time semi-finalists with a stunning individual goal after the break before Hemp put England back out in front.
Alessia Russo added another late in the second half to cap off the historic encounter and set up an all-European final showdown against Spain on Sunday night in Sydney.
England are now one win away from lifting two major trophies in just under 13 months after their triumph at last summer’s European Championships, while Australia will play Sweden for third place in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Aquatics Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) will host the 27th Goodwill Swimming Championship in Kingston, at The National Aquatic Centre from Friday, August 18 - Sunday, August 20. Three hundred swimmers from the national federations of Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks and Caicos are expected to participate in the regional meet alongside hosts Jamaica.
The Goodwill Swimming Championship is a premier swim meet in the Caribbean, and it is also seen as a launching pad toward higher levels of competition.
Friday will begin with an opening ceremony starting at 4:30 pm followed by five events in the pool. The 100m freestyle will lead off the action in the water, followed by the 50m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 4x50m mixed freestyle relay and 4x100m freestyle relay. Action will begin at 9:00 am and end at 1:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Each National Federation has a maximum of 40 swimmers - four boys and four girls in the age groups eight and under, 9 to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17. The member countries of the Goodwill Swimming Championship host the meet on an annual rotation basis. Trinidad and Tobago were last year’s hosts.
Patrons can expect an exciting three-day meet with fierce competition. At last year’s staging, Jamaica’s team of 25 swimmers surpassed expectations by winning 92 medals (33 gold, 37 silver, 22 bronze), setting new meet records and two age-group high point trophies.
Prior to the 26th edition, Jamaica’s highest tally was 65 medals at the 2019 staging in Suriname. The team amassed a total of 1,002 points to finish 2nd behind Trinidad and Tobago who won with 1,442 points and Barbados was 3rd with 723 points last year.
"It has been a real honour for Jamaica to have been asked to host this year's Goodwill especially when we were only ratified as a Goodwill country in 2022. I am delighted to be welcoming the various participating countries and we now wait with bated breath for the exciting competition” said Georgia Sinclair - VP Swimming ASAJ and Chairperson of Goodwill, LOC.
Jamaica’s National Swim Team Head Coach Gillian Millwood also added "The swimmers are ready to go and excited to welcome our visitors for a fun cultural exchange. It’s going to be a truly treasured Meet as over the past 5 years of our participation we’ve witnessed swimmers continuing their swimming journey. Some are headed to college in August, others are preparing for the World Junior Championship in Israel in September, while some are in El Salvador preparing for CCCAN. We are ready for more swimming!"
Jamaica's hosting the championships was made possible by the support of sponsors that include the Sports Development Foundation, Main Event, Gatorade, SportsMax, Rosh Marketing, Island Smiles, Wynlee Sportswear, Grace Kennedy, Sterling Asset Management Ltd, Everything Creative Ltd, iPrint Group, Cari-Med Group, The Herald Printers, Medical Disposable Supplies Ltd, Leo Hudson Photography, Iron Rock Insurance, Amazing Concrete Finishes Ltd, National Water Commission, National Road Operating & Construction Company Ltd, National Works Agency, Rainbow Awnings, Transport Authority, Caribbean Broilers, Scotia Insurance, Pure National Ice, Armbands Plus, Digicel and Recycling Partners of Jamaica.
World Rugby has come under pressure to act after Owen Farrell’s red card against Wales was overturned in a decision that has caused uproar across the game.
Farrell was sent off in the second half of Saturday’s 19-17 victory at Twickenham after his yellow card for a shoulder-led tackle to the head of Taine Basham was upgraded to a red by the bunker review system.
While the England captain was expected to face a ban that would rule him out of the start of the World Cup, a disciplinary hearing instead concluded that the offence was worthy of a sin-binning only, clearing him to play.
Six Nations, who oversee the warm-up fixtures, have a policy of not publishing written judgements, but are facing calls to make the detailed reasoning behind the independent panel’s decision public.
They have the power to appeal the verdict and so do World Rugby, who will examine the report before making a decision.
Progressive Rugby, a player welfare lobby group, believe the sport’s global governing body must intervene.
“World Rugby must emerge from its corporate bubble of stakeholder management and delegated responsibility to bare its teeth,” Progressive Rugby said on Twitter.
“For it to demonstrate it WON’T stand still on player welfare, that it IS the game’s number one priority and that they won’t tolerate being undermined.”
Last year’s Prix du Jockey Club and Coral-Eclipse winner Vadeni has been retired to stand at stud.
Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and owned by the Aga Khan, the son of Churchill finished second to Alpinista in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triopmphe.
He was also third to Luxembourg in the Irish Champion Stakes but finished a long way behind that same rival when last seen in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and connections have decided now is the best time for him to head to the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval stud to stand as a stallion.
“We are delighted to have Vadeni join the team at Haras de Bonneval, and he will come to stud with a very exciting profile,” said Georges Rimaud, the owner’s racing manager on www.agakhanstuds.com.
“A Stakes winner at two, he showed a fantastic turn of foot to win the Prix du Jockey Club by a record five-length margin at three, proved the best of a stellar field in the Eclipse Stakes, and placed in both the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Irish Champion Stakes.
“He showed a great constitution and temperament that enabled him to perform with distinction at the highest level not just in France but also in Ireland and the UK.
“He is everything you would want in a racehorse – precocious, fast, sound and consistent, and a dual Group One winner. After two busy seasons, he ran a great race to come second in the Arc in testing conditions on his first try at 12 furlongs, and it possibly took more out of him than we thought. We have therefore taken the decision to retire him now and focus on the next chapter ahead of him.
“Like Siyouni, he hails from a prolific Lagardère family that consistently produces good horses, and he is bred on the successful cross of Galileo and Monsun – so he boasts an excellent pedigree to go with his race record.”
Chelsea are set to take their spending under Todd Boehly to a whopping £1billion if they can get deals for Romeo Lavia and Michael Olise over the line.
The American has splashed the cash since taking over at Stamford Bridge, backing Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino heavily in the transfer market.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the biggest deals.
Moses Caicedo (£115million)
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The Blues beat off competition from Liverpool for the signature of the highly-rated Brighton midfielder, who is the third most expensive under-21 player in the world behind Kylian Mbappe and Joao Felix. They paid £100m up front, but that could rise to £115m depending on certain criteria.
Enzo Fernandez (£106.8m)
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Chelsea smashed the British transfer record when they signed the World Cup winner from Benfica in the January transfer window for an outright £106m, surpassing Jack Grealish’s fee for his move from Aston Villa to Manchester City.
Mykhailo Mudryk (£88.5m)
The Ukraine star cost £62million up front when he joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in January, but that fee could rise to £88.5m with possible add-ons.
Wesley Fofana (£75m)
Chelsea were after defensive reinforcements when they signed Wesley Fofana from Leicester. The France international cost £70million, with a possible further £5m to be paid to the Foxes in add-ons.
Marc Cucurella (£63m)
Chelsea have looked to Brighton on a number of occasions and, a few months before Graham Potter made the move from the Amex, the Blues signed left-back Cucurella for £56m, with a further £7m due in extras.
Dominic Ffrench Davis is favouring a tilt at the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at the end of next month with his star filly Persian Dreamer.
The daughter of Calyx provided the Lambourn handler with the biggest win of his career to date in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July course.
She is unbeaten in two outings at Newmarket having won on debut at the Craven meeting on the Rowley Mile, before suffering defeats at York and Royal Ascot.
Her Newmarket record, though, means French Davis favours the Cheveley Park over a trip to Ireland for the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
“It was an absolutely fabulous day winning the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes with her and it is what dreams are made of.
“She is a smashing filly and she showed us on that ground what she can do. Hopefully, we will get similar ground back at Newmarket for the Cheveley Park.
“It is down to the team what they do. She has an entry in the Moyglare, but I think she will probably only have one go at a Group One this year. It is up to them whether that is the Moyglare, Cheveley Park or Fillies’ Mile.
“My inclination is to go for the Cheveley Park. She has been to Newmarket twice and she has come away with a win both times.
“Keeping her to six furlongs as well this season would probably be the way to go forward.”
Wing Alex Cuthbert and centre Johnny Williams will make their first appearances of Wales’ World Cup warm-up schedule against South Africa on Saturday.
Williams partners Mason Grady in midfield, while there are also starts for the likes of scrum-half Kieran Hardy and hooker Elliot Dee.
Flanker Jac Morgan will captain Wales for the second time in three games, suggesting he is a firm favourite to skipper Wales at the World Cup.
Taine Basham, meanwhile, is among the replacements for the Springboks’ Principality Stadium visit.
Basham failed a head injury assessment following a shoulder-led tackle to his head by England captain Owen Farrell at Twickenham last weekend.
Farrell was sent off, but in a decision that sent shockwaves throughout the rugby world his red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel.
The Welsh Rugby Union said that Basham “was not a confirmed concussion following completion of all three stages of the head injury assessment (HIA) protocol”.
Ben Stokes has been lured out of his ODI retirement ahead of the World Cup while uncapped paceman Gus Atkinson has emerged as a bolter for England’s defence of their crown in India.
Stokes called time on his 50-over career 13 months ago due to a demanding workload and concerns abound about a chronic left knee problem that meant he did not bowl whatsoever in the last three Ashes Tests.
However, the Test captain could have a specialist batting role after answering a plea from white-ball counterpart Jos Buttler to make himself available for England’s bid to retain their World Cup title.
England take on New Zealand in four tune-up ODIs next month and Stokes has been included in a 15-strong squad that is likely to strongly resemble the touring party for the World Cup in October and November.
England men’s national selector Luke Wright said: “Any series against New Zealand is closely fought and will provide us with an ideal opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.
“The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again.”
Dawid Malan – who made ODI tons in Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh over the winter – keeps his spot ahead of Harry Brook, with the Yorkshireman seemingly the batter to make way for Stokes’ return.
While the return of a player who made crucial knocks in both the 2019 World Cup final and last year’s T20 equivalent was widely-anticipated, England have thrown a curve ball in selecting Surrey’s Atkinson.
The 25-year-old started the domestic season outside Surrey’s XI but he has impressed in all formats in recent months, especially in The Hundred where he was clocked bowling at 95mph for Oval Invincibles.
With Jofra Archer unlikely to be fit for the start of the World Cup as he recovers from his latest elbow injury, England have a chance to put their new express quick through his pace against the Kiwis.
White-ball head coach Matthew Mott intimated in the Mail on Sunday England may risk taking their 2019 super over hero to India if there is a chance he could feature in the latter stages of the World Cup.
But Archer is unavailable to face the Black Caps in a series that starts on September 8 in Cardiff, where Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are poised for their first ODI appearances in more than a year.
Root, who has featured in just 15 ODIs since the 2019 World Cup final, missed England’s winter programme in the format due to his Test duties while Bairstow was absent because of a badly broken leg.
Big-hitting all-rounder Liam Livingstone and left-arm seamer David Willey also return to the set-up after missing England’s most recent ODI series against Bangladesh in March.
A separate squad to take on Ireland at the back end of September will be named at a later date, with England due to announce a provisional World Cup group by September 5, which they must finalise by September 28. England’s final squad will contain 15 players plus three travelling reserves.
England’s white-ball programme this summer starts with a four-match T20 series against New Zealand from August 30 to September 5, with Brook having the consolation of being named in that 15-man group.
Hampshire seamer John Turner has earned his first senior call-up while Atkinson could make his England debut in the series, with Josh Tongue, who has caught the eye in the Test side, set for his maiden experience of England’s limited-overs set-up.
Stokes is not a part of this squad where fringe contenders Rehan Ahmed and fellow all-rounder Will Jacks, plus left-arm seamer Luke Wood have been selected.
England ODI squad to face New Zealand from September 8-15: J Buttler (captain), M Ali, G Atkinson, J Bairstow, S Curran, L Livingstone, D Malan, A Rashid, J Root, J Roy, B Stokes, R Topley, D Willey, M Wood, C Woakes.
England T20 squad to face New Zealand from August 30-September 5: J Buttler (captain), R Ahmed, M Ali, G Atkinson, J Bairstow, H Brook, S Curran, B Duckett, W Jacks, L Livingstone, D Malan, A Rashid, J Tongue, J Turner, L Wood.
Even for Luca Cumani it is hard to believe 20 years have passed since the fabulous Falbrav landed the Juddmonte International during a solitary but sensational season on British soil.
Described by his trainer as “the Muhammad Ali of the racing world”, Falbrav had already proven himself a top-class performer by the time he joined the Bedford House maestro, having won two Group Ones in Italy and the Japan Cup under Frankie Dettori the previous year.
That international success at Nakayama proved to be his last for Cumani’s fellow Italian Luciano d’Auria as Falbrav moved to Newmarket for what proved to be his final campaign.
“It doesn’t feel like 20 years ago at all, it feels more like five or six years,” said Cumani.
“The owner had raced him for three years in Italy and he thought it was time to see what he could do on the international circuit.
“I think he came to me in around February of his five-year-old year and we started from there.”
The 74-year-old revealed that while Falbrav’s ability did not immediately shine through, it did not take him long to realise he had something special on his hands.
He added: “It wasn’t immediately obvious how good he was as he was a very laid-back horse who didn’t show you much when he was just cantering, but from the first time he galloped and did a piece of work, you could see that he had instant acceleration and was very powerful.”
Falbrav headed back to the continent to make his first couple of starts for his new trainer, finishing third in the Prix Ganay in April before securing further Group One glory in the Prix d’Ispahan the following month.
He could finish only fifth behind Nayef in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, but turned the tables to win a humdinger of a Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Another defeat at Ascot in the King George followed, but Cumani never lost faith.
He said: “His run in the Ganay was a good start – he showed that he belonged, but he needed to improve. And sure enough he improved on his second start when he won the Prix d’Ispahan.
“He won the Eclipse in very good style and the mile and a half and the softer ground didn’t really suit him in the King George, but I remember there was some sort of bonus on offer, otherwise we probably wouldn’t have run him.”
Dropping back in trip on a quick surface at York the following month, hopes were high that Falbrav could again bounce back from disappointment in the Juddmonte International.
Always travelling well in the hands of Darryll Holland, Cumani’s ace kicked in the turbo to propel himself two lengths clear of Magistretti, with his old rival Nayef back in third.
Cumani said: “I was certainly hopeful going to York. In the whole of my career, I’ve never been confident as you never know what might happen in a race. My favourite saying was when it comes to horses and women – never confident, always hopeful!
“It definitely was one of his best performances. He sat behind the pace and when Darryll asked him to quicken with three furlongs to go, he put the race to bed immediately.
“Once Darryll gave him a bit of rein he showed a good burst of speed, got to the lead and held on to the line and won by a couple of lengths.”
Following his success on the Knavesmire, Falbrav was beaten a neck by High Chaparral in the Irish Champion Stakes. Connections attempted to have the result reversed on appeal following interference, but were unsuccessful.
Cumani’s charge gained some compensation in the QEII at Ascot, after which he was again trumped by High Chaparral in a Breeders’ Cup Turf for the ages at Santa Anita, before fittingly rounding off his career with an eighth Group One success in the Hong Kong Cup.
“The Irish Champion Stakes was slightly controversial as I think Mick Kinane rode two horses that day – he was riding High Chaparral and Falbrav!” Cumani recalled.
“He held Falbrav tight in a pocket against the rail and Darryll could never really get down to ride the horse properly and we were beaten a neck, so he was a bit unlucky.
“It was fantastic, that win in Hong Kong again showed what a good horse he was. He did it very easily and showed his trademark turn of foot with a couple of furlongs to run.”
Falbrav ran in 10 top-level races in the space of eight months for Cumani, winning five.
The trainer feels his overall record of eight Group One wins achieved in five different countries is testament to the horse’s class and constitution.
He said: “He had an amazing year with all the travelling he had to do, going to America and back and Hong Kong after that.
“He was a bull of a horse – I always used to say he was the Muhammad Ali of the racing world.
“He would definitely have to be one of the best horses I trained.”
Stuart McInally’s rugby career is over after the long-serving Edinburgh hooker was one of four players cut from Scotland’s 33-man World Cup squad.
The 33-year-old, who captained the national team at Japan 2019, announced at the end of last season that he would retire after this autumn’s showpiece in France to become an airplane pilot but, after being part of the training squad this summer, he has not made the final selection.
Scrum-half Jamie Dobie, tighthead prop Murphy Walker and back-row Josh Bayliss are the other three players who have been released from the squad.
The omission of the latter trio was not a major surprise given they have only accumulated 10 caps between them so far.
McInally won his 49th and final cap in last Saturday’s 30-27 defeat by France in Saint-Etienne.
First-choice number nine Ben White is in the squad, indicating that he has been given the all-clear after seeing a specialist this week about the ankle injury that forced him off against France a week past Saturday.
Fourteen of the 33 players Gregor Townsend has selected were also in his squad for the last World Cup, while four of them – Grant Gilchrist, WP Nel, Richie Gray and Finn Russell – will be going to the tournament for a third time.
Ben Stokes will be reportedly be named in England’s provisional Cricket World Cup squad on Wednesday as he ends his one-day international retirement to feature at this year’s 50-over tournament.
Stokes called time on the longest white-ball format last summer, citing an “unsustainable” schedule following his appointment as captain of the Test team and amid the growing rise of franchise cricket.
England’s talismanic all-rounder continued to play Twenty20s and inspired World Cup success in Australia last November and is now apparently set to perform a U-turn ahead the World Cup in India during October and November.
England selectors will name a squad on Wednesday for September’s ODIs against New Zealand and Ireland, which act as warm-up series for the World Cup in India before the tournament begins in October.
A provisional 18-man squad for the World Cup will also be confirmed on Wednesday, with Stokes expected to be included in a huge boost to white-ball captain Jos Buttler.
When Stokes walked away from ODIs last July, it was viewed with the long-term in mind and to give him the best possible chance to lead the red-ball team for as long as possible.
An unbeaten half-century in November helped England beat Pakistan to be crowned IT20 world champions in Australia with white-ball head coach Matthew Mott admitting at the time he would try tempt Stokes out of 50-over retirement.
It seemed an unrealistic aim with Stokes managing a long-standing left knee issue to get through all five Ashes Tests this summer, but honest enough to admit “serious conversations” were required over a potential operation.
With England not due to play red-ball cricket now until January, Stokes was predicted to go under the knife during the coming months, but could now reverse his ODI retirement.
It was Buttler and Stokes who played a central role in England becoming world champions on home turf four years ago, with Stokes’ 84 not out inspiring a tied match with New Zealand in the final at Lord’s that forced a Super Over.
Further hitting from Stokes would help England set the Black Caps 16 for victory and Buttler’s run-out sealed a maiden 50-over victory for the nation.
He concluded his ODI career with 105 matches, 2,924 runs and 74 wickets.
The PA news agency has contacted Stokes’ representative and the England and Wales Cricket Board for comment.
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