Lord Ian Botham has reignited his ongoing war of words with fellow former England all-rounder Ben Stokes, branding him a 'stupid boy' and a 'has-been' in his latest public remarks.
Stokes, who retired from England duty earlier this year, has been the subject of criticism from Botham over the past year, beginning with Botham's commentary on England's preparations for the previous year's Ashes series. Botham, also considered one of England's greatest all-rounders, conveyed his sentiments to The Times Magazine, stating, "Stupid boy. I'll mention him only briefly because his self-indulgence is not something I enjoy."
He continued, "He's a good player. A great player. But to say that and then lose, it's backfired, hasn't it? Then after losing the first two matches they go to Noosa, probably one of the most popular summer retreats for Australians. Really? They were p****d as rats. Look, if you want a drink, don't go to the high street. We used to go to wineries."
Botham's initial criticism of Stokes' side's preparation in Australia had been pointed. He had said, "Not one (state match), which borders on arrogance. You've got to give yourself the chance."
Stokes had previously responded to such commentary, asserting, "There's quite a few factors that play into why we can't prepare how the has-beens maybe prepared in the past. The landscape of cricket has changed and that affects preparation."
Following Stokes' retirement from international cricket, Botham had reiterated his stance. Speaking on Test Match Special, he remarked, "As we know Michael Vaughan and I, we don't know what we're talking about. Couple of old has-beens. Ben, if you're listening, congratulations, you've joined the club - you're now a has-been."
Stokes later responded on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The quote 'it's better to be a has-been than a never-been' originates from Lord Ian Botham."
In a recent development, Botham appears to have had the final word for now. Upon the release of his new book, he reportedly stated, "This is for you, Ben. Welcome to the has-beens club."
