England team is hopeful to bring back Ben Stokes in the team for upcoming men’s ODI World Cup 2023. After the ODI series against South Africa a year ago, Stokes decided to take retirement from ODI cricket due to its non sustainable environment, he definitely wanted keep his focus on test cricket and T20Is.
Any team would feel lucky to have an all-rounder like Ben Stokes in the team. He has something about him that makes him a match winner, the right way to put it will be “when time comes Ben Stokes performs”. In last few years, Stokes has been pioneer in a number of England’s victories: The 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand, the hero of Headingly in 2019 and Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022.
Until last month, Ben Stokes seemed adamant that he cannot come out of retirement to play ODI cricket, however, as England has started to focus on building a team for ODI World Cup taking place in India, the missing puzzle seems to be Ben Stokes. England coach Matthew Mott is hopeful that 32-years-old England’s test side captain will make a u-turn and the English team will find its best combination for the world cup.
Why Ben Stokes is the Man England Needs?
There is no doubt Ben Stokes is a terrific player. Not as consistent as others but definitely he is bonafide match winner and on a number of occasions, he has proved the case. As once Joe Root said about Ben Stokes, “he has got the bit no-one else has”, his extra bit of talent has been on show for a long time.
It is just his ability to win games, from the most opposing circumstances, he can drag the team and pave the way to victory. Secondly, Stokes who averages only 39 in his international ODI career, touches the average of 66.42 when it comes to World Cup matches. In the 2019 Men’s ODI World Cup, Stokes 465 runs in 10 innings.
Also, the combination is creates a scenario where he fits for batting. His inclusion in the team will mean that Harry Brook, who has been tested in middle-lower order, will find hard luck. Despite being a test cricket prodigy, Brook’s ODI career has been short with no significant success.
What will England Team Look Like in Presence of Ben Stokes?
England are already a formidable ODI side, they play aggressive cricket. However, their recent records aren’t entirely impressive because they lost 3-0 to Australia followed by 2-1 loss to South Africa. However, their series win in Bangladesh was an outstanding job because it is not easy bat in those conditions.
Starting with the top order, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow will definitely open up the innings. Joe Root will be the next one to come to bat, then there is Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Ollie Stone and Jofra Archer.
Phil Salt and Dawid Malan find themselves in an uneasy position, perhaps reminiscing about the unfortunate outcome that befell David Willey when he was replaced by Jofra Archer just before the 2019 World Cup. The situation might be causing some discomfort for both Salt and Malan, as they hope to avoid a similar fate.
Malan, having achieved the impressive feat of scoring four centuries in his past 12 One Day International innings, could understandably feel quite aggrieved if he were to be left out.
On the other hand, Salt’s performance over the winter has been relatively subdued, with his highest score in five ODI innings being only 35. As they wait and wonder, both Salt and Malan must be grappling with the uncertainty that comes with selection decisions in the world of cricket.
