England captain Jos Buttler has revealed that England are planning their 2023 One Day International campaign without considering star all-rounder Ben Stokes despite hopes that Stokes will return to the One Day International format by coming out of his retirement.
Last week, Ben Stokes was named as the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year and had also led his team to series victories over New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan. Ben Stokes-led England side also won the rearranged Test against India, which was supposed to be held in 2021 but due to the COVID pandemic, the Test was shifted to happen in 2022.
The 31-year-old retired from the ODI format and has left an unrivalled legacy. Ben Stokes was the hero of the 2019 ODI World Cup final against New Zealand as he led England to a World Cup win on his own and snatched the game away from New Zealand.
England’s white ball coach Mathew Mott still feels that Stokes will make a return to the One Day 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,” Mott said. “We leave the door open,” Mott added.
‘We are very much at the moment planning as if…’
Ahead of the South Africa series, England captain Jos Buttler was also asked regarding Stokes’ availability for the 2023 World Cup going to be held in India. Buttler replied, “If he 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.”
Apart from this, Buttler also seems excited by the return of star bowler Jofra Archer in the England side. “He’s only just coming back to competitive cricket, this will be his first international game for a long time, and there’s always going to be a level of expectation on Jofra because we all know what he’s capable of. But I’m sure he’s just going to get better and better as he comes back”, Buttler said, expressing his excitement.
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here