England cricket chief Rob Key has left the door open to Ben Stokes coming out of international retirement to play in next summer's home Ashes series against Australia.
Stokes gave up the England Test captaincy and retired from international cricket following his side's 2-1 series defeat to New Zealand in June, which followed a 4-1 Ashes loss to Australia over the winter.
The 35-year-old's decision came after he had been made unavailable for selection for the second Test against New Zealand, after breaching a midnight curfew when out celebrating England's win in the series opener.
There was speculation in the aftermath of the saga that Stokes had been left disappointed by the way he was treated by England's hierarchy, who on Thursday reinstated Joe Root as captain and appointed Stephen Fleming as Brendon McCullum's successor as Test head coach.
Asked if the door was still open to Stokes returning to face Australia next summer, England managing director Key told Your Site News: "It would be a brilliant story if he does."
Quizzed on whether Stokes had intimated a return, Key said: "No, he hasn't but I wouldn't be surprised. Anything's possible with Ben."
On whether the bridge had been burnt in terms of his own relationship with Stokes, Key added: "No, not at all. Not as far as I'm concerned."
Key also reaffirmed his desire to continue in his own position, which has come under scrutiny during a turbulent summer for English Test cricket.
England's managing director has overseen the sacking of a head coach, the retirement of a captain, a plethora of behavioural issues amid allegations of a drinking culture and a run of seven losses in the last nine Test matches.
Asked whether he still had the passion to lead England cricket, Key said: "Yeah, definitely.
"I'm optimistic about what we can do.
"The players that are going to take us forward into this next generation are the ones I believe that can go on to become world-class cricketers. There's a couple in there at the moment. There's so many that could go on to become a world-class team
"The key now is to not only have success but sustain it and keep repeating it. That's the system we're trying to put in place.
"In Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum, I think we've got the best two coaches"
Key also batted away doubts over incoming head coach Fleming's lack of experience with international or red-ball cricket.
Fleming's sole head coaching role since retiring as New Zealand Test captain has been at the helm of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, recently vacating the post he has held since 2009 before taking on the England job.
"I think he's [been] one of the most experienced coaches of international cricketers for the last 18 years," said Key.
"You think about that job that he's done in the IPL and you do not forget Test cricket, how to go about it, how to play it with the career that he had as a player, more importantly as a captain as well.
"It's not like for the last 18 years whilst he's been in the IPL he's not been across Test cricket. We've had dealings in the past when our players have gone to Chennai and they've all spoken so highly - I've not met anyone that hasn't spoken highly about Stephen Fleming as a coach.
"I think he's hugely experienced in not only the franchise world, dealing with international cricketers and dealing with Test cricket in particular."
Key also advocated refining an already-established approach to Test cricket, rather than making rash changes to the progress made by the Test team under Stokes and McCullum.
"This is a team now that has lost an entire generation of cricketers bar Joe Root," he said.
"We've had to rebuild the bowling attack. They've lost over a thousand wickets in the last few years and there is so much potential there.
"I believe Stephen Fleming is the best person to get the basics bowlers running and consistently hitting a line and length with all of that potential, all the attributes that they have.
"A refined approach is needed, not a change of approach."
Former England captain Michael Atherton says the ECB have made the best possible choice in appointing Fleming, who has a close relationship with white-ball coach McCullum and a proven track record of improving players.
"Fleming was the best appointment the ECB could have made from those available and willing to take the job," Atherton said.
"They spoke to Andy Flower, who said he wasn't interested because of his franchise commitments. I think Fleming is the next best choice.
"They had to find somebody who would work well with McCullum, who remains in charge of the white-ball side. They get on very well and are quite similar in outlook. The players won't be going from one coach who feels completely differently about cricket to McCullum.
"Fleming was a highly regarded captain of New Zealand, he knows the Test game inside out, and he's been a successful coach in franchise cricket with Chennai Super Kings for a long time.
"I don't think it will be radically different to what McCullum was doing, but I think it will be slightly more rigorous, with slightly more attention to detail, and provide a fresh start for a few players.
"It's a different situation to when McCullum was appointed, when England had some top-class players in need of liberation. Now they have younger Test players who need improving, and that is a different job for a coach."
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