Ben Stokes’ Ashes comeback dream is fading – and Stephen Fleming is the one pouring cold water on it.
The hope, romantic as it was, lingered. Stokes walking out one more time in an England Test shirt next summer, squaring up to Australia for a final Ashes chapter. The script almost wrote itself. But Fleming, England’s new red-ball coach, has made it clear: this is not a story he intends to force into existence.
“Wrong” to change his mind
Stokes stunned the game earlier this year when he stepped away from international cricket after four turbulent, compelling years as England Test captain. He has not disappeared, though. He has thrown himself into life with Durham, helping drive the county to the Division Two title with the kind of wholehearted spells and gritty contributions that have defined his career.
He has also signed on for a Big Bash League stint with Adelaide Strikers, keeping his competitive edge sharp and his schedule full. That alone has been enough to fuel the whispers. Could he be tempted back for one last Ashes? Might the lure of Australia, of that old rivalry, prove too strong?
Even Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, allowed himself to nod to the romance of it all, calling it a “great story” and refusing to close the door entirely.
Fleming has done the opposite.
“I went up to Durham and spoke to Ben, which was good. He's really happy and seemed to be really at peace with his decision,” Fleming said, drawing a firm line under the speculation.
The pair know each other well from their time together at Chennai Super Kings. That history gives Fleming a different vantage point. This was not a coach delivering a stock answer. This was someone who has seen Stokes up close, in dressing rooms and pressure moments, judging the man as much as the cricketer.
“I've worked with Ben quite a bit. We've got a really good relationship. He was in a good space. He'd just bowled another 20 overs for Durham with success.
“He seems really happy and comfortable with what he's doing. My view is when a player decides to retire it's a big decision and I have the utmost respect for that decision so that's where it sits.”
The message was calm, but uncompromising. Stokes has chosen his path. Fleming has no intention of dragging him back down another one.
No U-turn, no arm-twisting
When he spoke later to BBC Sport’s Test Match Special, Fleming sharpened the point even more. This was not just about tactics or selection. It was about principle.
“I respect his decision too much,” he said. “To try to turn that around and question that is wrong. I know how much goes into that type of decision, and I respect that.”
In other words: there will be no late-night phone calls, no emotional pitches about legacy or unfinished business. If Stokes ever does reappear in an England Test side, it will be because he chooses to, not because a coach nudged him.
For those clinging to the idea of a grand Ashes encore, that stance lands heavily. The door is not bolted shut by official decree, but the man who would have the most influence on any return has all but stepped away from it.
Ashes obsession, from the outside
What Fleming is not doing, though, is downplaying the Ashes itself. Far from it. If anything, he leans into the obsession that surrounds the series in England.
“I have an obsession with it as well. New Zealand has obsession with it, we love it,” he said. “We have a deep desire to beat Australia in everything, as the little cousin. We are linked, and I'm incredibly excited about being part of it.”
That admission matters. Fleming may be a New Zealander, but he understands the emotional charge of any contest with Australia. He has lived it from across the Tasman, as the “little cousin” desperate to bloody the bigger one’s nose.
So he walks into his new role fully attuned to what next summer will mean. The rivalry. The noise. The scrutiny. The urge to throw every available weapon at Australia.
And still, he will not push Stokes.
In an era where players are often squeezed for one last series, one last tournament, Fleming’s stance is striking. Respect over desperation. Conviction over sentiment. If England are to reclaim the Ashes, they will almost certainly have to do it without the man who has defined so many of their greatest modern days.
The temptation to dream will linger, of course. It always does with Ben Stokes. But for now, the Ashes story is moving on without him – and Fleming sounds ready to write it that way.
