Ian Botham has fired his latest shot at Ben Stokes, declaring the recently retired England all-rounder a "stupid boy" and "self-indulgent" following their year-long war of words.
Stokes retired from England duty earlier this year but he and Botham have had a well-publicised back and forth, with the latter criticising England's preparations for last year's Ashes, which they lost 4-1.
Botham mocks Stokes' 'has-been' remark
Botham decided to hit out at Stokes once again during an interview, where he only chose to mention him briefly. Their spat centred around Botham saying England's decision to only play one warm-up match last winter "bordered on arrogance", with Stokes then saying modern teams did things differently to the way "has-beens maybe prepared in the past".
The 70-year-old mocked Stokes' response, especially in light of a loss, as he told The Times: "Stupid boy. I'll mention him only briefly because his self-indulgence is not something I enjoy.
"He's a good player. A great player. But to say that and then lose [England lost the series 4-1], it's backfired, hasn't it? Then after losing the first two matches they go to Noosa [the England team took a mid-series break in the Queensland resort and some players got drunk], probably one of the most popular summer retreats for Australians.
"Really? They were p***ed as rats. Look, if you want a drink, don't go to the high street. We used to go to wineries."
Feud reignited after Stokes' retirement
Stokes' "has-been" comment has clearly remained with Botham, who again referenced it once the Durham man chose to retire earlier this summer.
He said on Test Match Special: "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 responded on social media: "The quote 'it's better to be a has-been than a never-been' originates from Lord Ian Botham."
The former England captain has slotted straight into the county game, performing impressively for Durham throughout the summer and finishing up his career following a Test match loss to New Zealand.
"Happy with everything I did in my career," he said after making his decision. "It is sad, some things I will miss. A lot of emotion, but I'm proud of what I did and grateful to the fans who follow us around and show their support."
