Former England captain Ben Stokes stands by James Anderson snub

Ben Stokes has confirmed he holds no regrets about the decision to exclude James Anderson from England's Test squad as the team prepares for the Ashes 2025-26. He explained that the choice was made with a positive outcome in mind for the upcoming tour to Australia. Anderson's final Test appearance came in the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord's, where he concluded an international career spanning 188 Tests in which he took 704 wickets.

Stokes acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and the impact it would have on the veteran pacer. The captain recognised Anderson's immense contribution to English cricket over nearly two decades at the highest level. Despite the emotional weight of the call, Stokes maintained that such tough decisions are part of leadership responsibility.

"I'm sure there's going to be disappointment there from Jimmy, 'cause it was probably not a nice thing to be able to hear for someone who's done so much for the game. But again, you know, the game moves on from people. The game's moved on from him, the game's moved on from me, it always will. But that shouldn't take away what he's done for English cricket. I mean, he's still... is he captain in Lancs, still playing for Lancs? Again, he just loves playing cricket. And, you know, should never forget what he did for England in that shirt," said Stokes on For the Love of Cricket podcast.

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Stokes stressed the importance of making difficult calls in a leadership role. Former England captain noted that the decision was not made hastily, reflecting the careful consideration given to squad selection ahead of the Australian tour.

"Wasn't made overnight, no. But again, you know, when you're in those roles of leadership, you've got to be able to make those decisions and stand by them and live by them," Stokes said.

"And if people don't think they're right, that's absolutely fine, because everyone is able to have an opinion on that kind of stuff. But look, I still see Jimmy as someone who I got very close with, played a lot of cricket with Jimmy, and, you know, he's still doing what he does. But no, I don't... I don't regret the decision that we made, because we did it for what we thought was going to be a positive outcome for us in the buildup to going out to Australia," he added.