Ben Stokes receives outpouring of support after taking a break from cricket to prioritise his mental health

Cricketer Ben Stokes has received mass support from fans after he announced he is taking an “indefinite” break from cricket to prioritise his mental health.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Friday evening that Stokes will play no part in the forthcoming Test series against India. As well as stepping back for the sake of his mental wellbeing, he also needs to rest his injured left index finger, which has not fully healed since his return to competitive cricket.

Stokes also took a period of compassionate leave between August and October last year, missing two Tests, to be with his father Ged, who died in December.

Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket said in a statement:

“Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings.

“Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this.

“Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments has had a major impact on everyone. Ben will be given as long as he needs and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future.”

Reacting to the announcement, people expressed their support for the cricketer:

Meanwhile, Stokes is the latest high-profile athlete, following Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, to prioritise mental wellbeing over competition.

Well done to them for setting such a good example.