England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has confirmed that the team is planning to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India later this year without Ben Stokes.
While some remain optimistic that Stokes will return to ODI cricket, Buttler stated that the team is preparing as if he will not be available for the mega event. The 31-year-old will retire from the 50-over format in 2022 to focus on Tests and T20Is. Buttler acknowledged that Stokes’ primary focus is on Test cricket and leading England to their first Ashes victory since 2015.
“If he (Stokes) wants to change his decision, of course he’d be welcomed back with open arms but we are very much at the moment planning as if he he won’t be available,” Buttler was quoted by The Mirror.
Meanwhile, England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott recently stated that the “door is open” for Stokes to return to the game.
“The door is always open for a player of that quality” – Matthew Mott on Ben Stokes
“The door is always open for a player of that quality but we are also very aware that his main focus is red ball cricket as the captain, we leave the door open,” Mott was quoted by BBC recently.
Notably, Stokes was the mainstay of England’s first-ever One-Day International World Cup victory at Lords in 2019, when he helped England win a nail-biting final against New Zealand. He was also the hero of England’s recent T20 World Cup victory, scoring an unbeaten 52 in the final against Pakistan.
Stokes has also been an outstanding Test captain, leading his team to series victories over New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan. As the defending World Cup champions, the Three Lions are considered one of the favourites to win the tournament. They are currently engaged in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the Proteas.
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