England’s hopes of defending their T20 World Cup title this summer has been dealt a huge blow after Ben Stokes opted out of playing in the tournament in the Caribbean and USA.
Stokes was the key man when England claimed the title for the second time in Australia in 2022, hitting an unbeaten 52 in the final against Pakistan in Melbourne.
He was also player of the match in the final against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2019 when the team memorably won the 50-over World Cup following a dramatic Super Over.
Despite England’s shambolic defence of their 50-over title in India at the end of last year – Jos Buttler’s men crashing out in the group stage – Stokes was still the team’s best batter, averaging 50 in the tournament.
However, England’s Test captain has chosen to sit out the latest World Cup in June in order to prioritise his recovery from the knee injury he had surgery on last November as he bids to return to the team as a full all-rounder for this summer’s series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
An England statement confirmed: “Ben Stokes has confirmed today he does not wish to be considered for selection ahead of this summer’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will take place in June in the West Indies and USA.”
Stokes was ahead of schedule in his return to bowling during England’s 4-1 Test series defeat in India in February and March.
He initially stated he would not bowl at all in the series but went back on a “pinky promise” to England physio Ben Davies when he bowled five overs in the final Test in Dharamshala, including dismissing India captain Rohit Sharma with his first competitive delivery in six months.
“I’m working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket,” said Stokes.
“Opting out of the IPL [Indian Premier League] and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future.
“The recent Test tour of India highlighted how far behind I was from a bowling point of view after my knee surgery and nine months without bowling. I’m looking forward to playing for Durham in the County Championship before the start of our Test summer. I wish Jos (Buttler), Motty (coach Matthew Mott) and all the team the best of luck in defending our title.”
i has been told that Stokes has not suffered a setback in his recovery from the injury to his left knee and is bowling pain free and upping his loads in the nets at Durham.
Indeed, England have stressed the 32-year-old’s decision to miss the World Cup is driven only by his desire to return as a fully-fledged all-rounder for this summer’s Test series.
It is understood England’s tight turnaround after the World Cup – with just 11 days in between the final of the tournament and the first Test against the Windies at Lord’s on 10 July – was a major part of Stokes’ decision.
Yet it is a major blow to Buttler and under-pressure coach Mott, both of whose jobs will be on the line this summer following the poor display in the 50-over World Cup last winter and the subsequent tour of the Caribbean that saw England lose both the T20 and ODI series against the West Indies.
Stokes had not played a T20 international since that World Cup final in 2022 but his big-game experience and ability to galvanise the squad will be sorely missed in the Caribbean.
England, who start their campaign against Scotland on 4 June in Barbados, also now have a hole to fill in their middle order, with potentially Jonny Bairstow moving up from opener to the No4 slot Stokes occupied in 2022 and Phil Salt at the top of the order alongside Buttler.
In terms of his runs and wickets, England will be able to replace Stokes for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. Yet his off-field influence and big-game temperament is simply irreplaceable.
It’s why this news is such a blow to England’s hopes of defending the title they won in Australia two years ago.
Stokes, of course, was instrumental in that triumph, not only bringing Buttler’s men home in the final run chase against Pakistan with an unbeaten 52 but also playing a key role in ensuring the team got to the Melbourne showpiece in the first place.
There’s absolutely no doubt England would not have made it had it not been for Stokes, whose influence with the ball was underlined when he dismissed New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in the penultimate group match in Brisbane.
His cool head with the bat then came to the fore during a nervy final group match against Sri Lanka in Sydney. Stokes’ unbeaten 42 from 36 balls after being promoted up the order to No3 ensured there was no slip up after England were reduced to 111 for five chasing 142.
Both those matches had been must-win for England following their shock loss to Ireland and the washout against hosts Australia earlier in the tournament left them absolutely no margin for error.
Others obviously stepped up, too, notably Buttler and Alex Hales in the semi-final destruction of India at the Adelaide Oval and Sam Curran, whose all-round excellence earned him the man of the tournament award. Yet it was Stokes who pulled it all together and who England’s squad gravitated towards when the going got the toughest. It means his absence this summer is a hammer blow to England’s chances of success.
There are certain players across all sports who become a lightning rod for their team’s success – Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls in basketball’s NBA in the 1990s, Lionel Messi for Barcelona in football between 2004 and 2021 and NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who won an unprecedented seven Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Like those three titans, Stokes’ knack for coming up with the goods in the biggest moments of the biggest games has saved his team time and again.
The 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord’s, those games in the last T20 World Cup and countless other times in Test cricket, most recently at Headingley last summer when with England in danger of being so far behind the game on first innings they were staring at a 3-0 Ashes series deficit, their captain unfurled a batting blitz that took down rookie spinner Todd Murphy and changed the whole complexion of the series.
It was in the previous Test at Lord’s that Stokes produced one of his greatest innings, a jaw-dropping 155, to drag England back into contention. That, though, was also the last time he bowled in a competitive match before the final Test against India at Dharamshala last month.
It is his desire to get back to his best in that discipline following knee surgery last November that has made Stokes take the decision he has regarding the T20 World Cup. And while the Test captain prioritising the oldest format should be applauded, it’s the news Buttler and coach Mott would have been dreading.
Mott is under intense pressure already after England’s awful defence of their 50-over World Cup in India late last year. It’s no co-incidence Stokes failed to have the influence he normally does given he was battling through the pain barrier thanks to the injured left knee he required surgery on weeks later.
Losing such an influential figure will make a huge difference. Yet England have to put their disappointment behind them. They have the talent to win the tournament. Yet given their recent run of white-ball woe that included T20 and ODI series defeats in the Caribbean last December, it would be no shock if they got nowhere close.
The biggest beneficiary of Stokes’ absence may well be Bairstow. Phil Salt looked a lock to play in the top three anyway, probably as opener alongside Buttler. No Stokes means England can fit Salt, Buttler, Bairstow and Harry Brook in their top four.
It’s possibly the best batting line-up in the tournament. But others will now be required to step up when England find themselves in a position where their tournament is on the line.
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