Former Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has opened up about England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ decision to take an indefinite break from the game. However, the all-rounder withdrew his name from the upcoming Test series against India to recover from his finger injury and work on his mental health as well.

However, Sangakkara stated that the current situation of COVID-19 might have played a role in his decision of taking a break. As he has been traveling from one bubble to another with an injury and he even lost his father last year as well.

“I think they all add up. A lot of time away from home, a lot of time in bubbles, restrictions in terms of freedom of movement, a lot of protocols in place, and then the added pressure of performing at such an intensely high level in the public eye. So, it is very hard to pinpoint. Different individuals deal with things differently; some are able to cope with it, some are not,” Kumar Sangakkara said to Sky Sports.

However, all-rounder Craig Overton has replaced him in the squad for the upcoming Test series against India. Meanwhile, he recently led England’s second-string team to a 3-0 series win over Pakistan after the main team went into isolation following a few positive COVID-19 cases.

“It brings into focus the fact that at a level that the players play at an elite professional sport, the coping mechanism can only deal with so much, so it’s very important to have the support structure around players to help them and identify signs very early,” Kumar Sangakkara further added.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is one of the leading all-rounders across all formats in world cricket now. He has played a major role in their World Cup campaign in 2019 as well as in the Ashes which helped them win.