One of the best all-rounders of contemporary times, Ben Stokes shocked everyone when he called it quits from the ODI format in July 2022. He wanted to focus on the T20I and the Test format and thereby took that bold decision.
However, with the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in sight, England will desperately need Ben Stokes’s caliber and strength on the side. The presence of a talismanic player like Ben Stokes becomes a big source of inspiration and motivation for the entire team.
England’s white-ball Head Coach Matthew Mott has now said that the “doors are open” for Ben Stokes to come back from retirement in the ODI format.
“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 respect that and when he’s ready to chat, we’ll do that,” said Matthew Mott ahead of the limited overs series against South Africa that commences from Friday.
Ben Stokes is the epitome of grit, determination, and willpower. He is known for making some stellar comebacks and we might see him in England’s team for the upcoming World Cup in India. The conditions will be challenging and England will be facing some stiff competition as they look to defend their crown.
“I’ve had some good discussions with Jos [Buttler, captain] and Rob Key [director of England men’s cricket] on this.
What we’ve worked out, as you will see on this tour, is that players are playing a lot of franchise cricket, coming in and out at different times, so we need to keep a really flexible, open mind to players and when we sit down to pick that 15 for the World Cup, we want to pick the best players possible,” Matthew Mott added.
Ben Stokes played an instrumental role in England winning the World Cup at home in 2019. He was the player of the match in the finals against England and held his nerve during the crunch super-over moment that decided the fact of the game.
The 31-year-old scored an invaluable knock of 84*(98) in the high-voltage finals of the ICC ODI World Cup 2019.
Also read: Top 5 Incredible Knocks From Rohit Sharma As A Captain In ODIs
