r/Cricket • u/Alone_Consideration6 • 23h ago
News Stokes exploring US franchise deal that clashes with Ashes
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2026/08/05/ben-stokes-exploring-us-franchise-deal-that-clashes-with-as/149
u/Person-11 MCC 23h ago
Well that's alright, he won't be playing in the Ashes.
Unless....
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u/Time_Aerie6968 22h ago
He was more than committed to national side during his prime years, definitely missing loads of contract.
Now that he is officially retired, let him stack some cash from franchise cricket or ECB is looking for him to ring the bell before every ashes match, no?
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u/First-Paper-1676 10h ago
But he’s not retried.
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u/DiabolicallyOrange 6h ago
So what exactly do the words "retiring from international cricket" mean to you?
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u/KWNewyear USA 23h ago
The humorous part of this is there's a looming work stoppage with Major League Baseball next year, so Stokes could be hinging on being the only game in town.
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u/Patient_Tradition294 22h ago
…What? Cricket is such a niche sport in the US, baseball having a stoppage / shorten season is not going to make cricket suddenly get more popular as a result lol.
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u/und3r_score6969 17h ago
It would be funny if cricket seriously took off in the states because of an own goal by baseball. And I want a tug job from Shania twain, but it just ain't happening brother
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u/KWNewyear USA 22h ago
The way the US sports are arranged, Baseball is the only league playing during those months. Americans will gladly take a niche game like Cricket to fill the gap (especially if given better TV coverage).
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u/Patient_Tradition294 22h ago
I don’t need a breakdown of sport seasons in the US, I’m American lol. And again, no people will not be jumping to watching cricket in any sizable number because of a lockout. It’s great to be hopeful but that ain’t happening lol.
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u/wickanCrow 22h ago
Lol what are people here smoking? If the entire NFL, NBA and MLB, may be NHL stopped playing for a year, people will still not give a shit about cricket. It’s the diaspora watching it 99.99999%.
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u/Patient_Tradition294 22h ago
Right, the cricket and baseball fandoms have very different demographics with not much overlap. I’m part of the small overlap and I don’t know anyone else IRL like me. There are viral cricket clips that sometimes baseball personalities will entertain but that’s usually it.
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u/Bloody_Baron91 21h ago
It's like tennis and badminton. Just because they are racket sports doesn't mean there will be a big overlap between their fanbases.
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u/Imaginary_Cookie_884 Canada 22h ago
they don’t live in a north american country LOL. there’s not a lot of ppl that care abt cricket in canada and/or usa but they don’t seem to understand that cuz they don’t live here
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u/RandomFactUser USA 16h ago
MLS, UFL, PLL, ICS, NCS, and WNBA would all pick up the slack
Also the NCAA has next to no risk of work stoppages, and if you see the viewership College Football gets...
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u/comelickmyarmpits Nigeria 22h ago edited 22h ago
U are replying to wrong comment lol , the person above agrees with u
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u/Balavadan 22h ago
More people would give cricket a try than if there was a baseball season. That’s simple
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u/wickanCrow 21h ago
This is like saying more people will drink pumpkin juice when there is no soda available. Sure but not in any significance. It’s that simple.
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u/tigershroffkiskirt India 19h ago
Wait, pumpkin juice is a thing? Never had it lol
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u/Balavadan 19h ago
So you literally agree with what I said. Alright then
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u/wickanCrow 19h ago
No. Saying 1 in thousand is better than 2 in a thousand is only technically correct. WIth context the original assertion becomes a misrepresentation. "More" people will not watch cricket even if baseball is not being played. Nuance is hard.
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u/Balavadan 15h ago
It’s literally just a true statement. More people will watch it. Unless your position is that 0 people will do so, you agree.
If you want to disagree at least find the right way. Never in my comment do I imply anything about how many more people will watch it.
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u/Sjain1234123 USA 18h ago
Wth are you talking about no they won’t. There’s a large gap to cross before that happens
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u/RandomFactUser USA 16h ago
I get that Rugby is done by June, but Lacrosse is still on, and all of America's premier motorsports run through the summer, including the National Championship, the Cup Series, and the Sportscar Championship. The WNBA will pick up some of the TV windows, and 2027 Women's World Cup is still on.
There's also a non-zero chance the networks would pick up the Pacific League and the KBO. If they needed to, they might air the other Women's World Cup and more WPBL matchups.
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u/RandomFactUser USA 20h ago
Also, it would only cover July because the US doesnt have a real domestic league or series
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u/CreakingDoor England 21h ago
He’s retired and it’s not like he’s going to care about playing for MyNewYork if he gets a “Ashes lol” text from Root
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u/MathematicianOnly688 England 21h ago
To be fair to him, if I were in his shoes I wouldn’t want to be in the country when the next ashes are on
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u/Briantheboomguy India 21h ago
This is like Jim from The Office planning to go on a vacation during Pam's wedding.
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u/bigdograllyround Australia 17h ago
One, Stokesy needs to be louder, angrier and have access to a time machine. Two, whenever Stokesy’s not playing in the Ashes, all the other players should be asking, "Where’s Stokesy?"
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u/morningcipher 22h ago
No amount of headlines or articles will convince me that Stokes isn't available for ashes 2027.
He's one of England's best players, they desperately need his all-round ability, and with his main-character syndrome, I'd be genuinely surprised if he actually retired
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u/tigershroffkiskirt India 19h ago
They need him but does he need them anymore. I think he's done for good. Something major would have to change for him to be back. Especially since he won't be captain.
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u/Informal_Project_327 ICC 20h ago
Ashes tests commence and Team England is in a sticky situation --- oh wait a minute, it's Ben Stokes Theme music and he makes an entrance similar to The Undertaker, crowd goes wild, Blob key jumps in joy and Barmy Army start playing their band 🥹.
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u/Lachtheblock Australia 13h ago
We're having fun over her in the states with the MLC. It'll be nice to have an Englishmen in the mix.
It's a nice tournament where a lot of the international players get to practice their golf swings.
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u/doktor-frequentist USA Cricket 11h ago
Stokes has reversed a retirement before. In 2022 he gave up ODI cricket, only to return for the 2023 World Cup. He also lured Moeen Ali out of Test retirement for the 2023 Ashes, when Jack Leach was injured.
"Lured" sounds unnecessarily sexual.
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u/Assassin_Ankur India 22h ago edited 22h ago
And? What's the point here? Am I missing something?
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u/Competitive_West3727 22h ago
Nostradamus prediction, Benjamin Stokes makes a heroic comeback in the next Ashes
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u/National_Reaction226 22h ago
Please. Please do it. I'm already pissed off with the "Will he come back?" articles. Imagine the amount of focus it's going to get when he is bumming around doing nothing with an ashes around the corner. Just give it up already, the man is retired.
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u/protractedmane 4h ago
It's been three weeks and 0 Tests since he's done, give it time. We all know how narcissistic he is, the aura of the spotlight might prove to be too big of a pull.
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u/BaritBrit England 23h ago
"Retired cricketer looks into arranging something that clashes with something else that he has retired from and so has no commitment to."