Ben Stokes comes out of retirement as England announces squad for ODI World Cup 2023
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday announced their 15-person provisional squad for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
With their initial roster for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, England has made a number of significant selections, with all-rounder Ben Stokes being selected in a group of 15 players without teenage batter Harry Brook and star quick Jofra Archer.
Jos Buttler to lead England squad for ODI World Cup 2023
England’s provisional squad for the World Cup: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Stokes had changed his mind and would play in the four-match ODI series against New Zealand that begins next month. Luke Wright, an England selector, later confirmed that the World Cup provisional roster included the same 15 players selected to face the Kiwis.
Brook would therefore not play in his first World Cup, and Wright also stated that Archer would only be a traveling reserve for England at the tournament.
“This is the squad we are going to put forward,” Wright said on Wednesday.
“It’s incredibly hard on some players that are going to miss out. It shows the strength and depth we have in English Cricket and there are other names who are knocking on the door as well.
“With the balance of the squad, and with only fifteen that you can name it’s incredibly tough.”
“The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again.”
Wright concluded.
Notably, teams do not have to formally submit their provisional World Cup squad to the ICC until September 5, and further changes can be made up until 28 September.
2019 WC hero Ben Stokes set up to come out of retirement for the marquee tournament
No player in 2019 was able to surpass the five half-centuries that Stokes amassed, and his 465 runs at an average of 66.42 was enough to rank him ninth on the list of the tournament’s top run scorers despite the strain of playing a World Cup on home soil.
It’s simple to understand why England prevailed to win its first World Cup championship four years ago when you consider his seven wickets for the competition at a miserly economy rate of 4.83 and some jaw-dropping efforts in the field.
When making a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan in the final to help England go all the way and win a second T20 World Cup championship in Australia last year, 32-year-old Stokes may have even eclipsed his own excellent achievement if his efforts on home soil served as the benchmark.
On October 5, England’s World Cup campaign gets underway when they face New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The two teams will face off in a four-match ODI series prior to the tournament as practice for the main event.
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