ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes admits he is managing “the back end of my career” after choosing to skip the Indian Premier League and prioritise his time in international cricket.

Stokes sat out the lucrative T20 tournament this year in a bid to ease his workload following long-running knee issues but was expected to throw his name into the hat for the 2025 edition, with big-money deals on offer at the recent ‘mega auction’ in Saudi Arabia.

Instead, he was a notable absentee as the franchises spent big money elsewhere – including huge paydays for fellow Englishmen Jos Butter, Jofra Archer and Phil Salt, who all attracted deals of over £1m.

Stokes’ last contract with Chennai Super Kings valued him at £1.6m a year but at 33 years old and with a lengthy history of wear and tear on his body, the all-rounder insists he is focused on giving his all to England having signed a two-year central contract in October.

LEADING MAN: England cricket captain Ben Stokes reacts during the Mihi Whakatau, a traditional teams welcome, on the field at Hagley Oval, ahead of the first cricket test against New Zealand in Christchurch Picture: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport/AP

placeholder image — LEADING MAN: England cricket captain Ben Stokes reacts during the Mihi Whakatau, a traditional teams welcome, on the field at Hagley Oval, ahead of the first cricket test against New Zealand in Christchurch Picture: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport/AP

Speaking in Christchurch on the eve of England’s final Test series of the year against New Zealand, which gets underway at 10pm tonight, he explained his decision to opt out of the bidding for the IPL.

“There’s just so much cricket. There’s no hiding behind the fact that I’m at the back end of my career,” he told BBC’s Test Match Special.

“I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that – prioritising games and when I do play. Obviously I’m in South Africa this year (with MI Cape Town in the the SA20), so it’s about looking at what I’ve got ahead and making the right decision for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible.

“I want to be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can.”

In the immediate term that means taking on a Black Caps who stunned India by whitewashing them on home soil only a matter of weeks ago. New Zealand walked away with a 3-0 win, inflicting India’s first loss on home soil since Alastair Cook’s England 12 years ago and a first ever clean sweep in a series of three or more games.