Ben Stokes, who announced his retirement from ODI play in 2022, is reportedly willing to come out of retirement to help England defend their Cricket World Cup title.
Stokes retired from ODI cricket due to an “unsustainable” workload, and if he returns, he will likely bat just as a specialist.
Stokes missed the most of the Indian Premier League season due to a knee injury he sustained while touring New Zealand in February. Although he captained England in the Ashes, he was primarily limited to batting, bowling only 29 overs in five matches.
Stokes has nevertheless constantly shown his usefulness as a specialist batter. Considering only his batting prowess, England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott is willing to include him in the World Cup squad.
“Jos will probably lead the way on that communication, but Ben’s pretty straight with all of us,” Matthew Mott said. “We will see if he’s keen.
“There has not been a clear direction on what he’s going to do yet, but we are still hopeful. I’ve always said his bowling would be a bonus, but just look at what he brings with the bat, even in the field.
It had been expected that he would undergo rehabilitation over the six months between the end of the Ashes and the beginning of England’s tour to India in 2024. But now it seems that he is willing to skip the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.
Ben Stokes was one of England’s heroes in the 2019 tournament, receiving Player of the Match in the Final for his remarkable unbeaten 84.
Stokes’ undefeated half-century in the 2022 T20 World Cup final demonstrated his big-game pedigree yet again.
England’s ICC World Cup title defense will begin on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, udner the leadership of Jos Buttler. In the tournament opener, they would take on New Zealand.
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