Ben Stokes has withdrawn from the upcoming T20 World Cup set to be held in the West Indies and USA, citing a focus on his fitness.
Stokes, renowned for his pivotal performance in the previous edition in Australia where he guided England to victory with an unbeaten fifty, aims to regain full fitness to resume bowling.
He has requested the ECB not to consider him for selection.
Struggling with a knee injury last year, Stokes refrained from bowling in the final three Ashes Tests against Australia at home.
Despite his previous ODI retirement, he made himself available for the World Cup in India, albeit solely as a batter.
Subsequently, the 32-year-old underwent surgery after the tournament, striving to recover in time for the Test series in India.
Though he initiated bowling in the nets during the series, Stokes only bowled in the final Test match in Dharamsala.
His focus now shifts to the County Championship, aiming for a return as an all-rounder to be able to bowl during England’s home summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka.
“I’m diligently working on rebuilding my bowling fitness to assume a complete all-rounder role across cricket formats,” Stokes remarked.
“Opting out of the IPL and the World Cup is a sacrifice, hopefully propelling me toward achieving the all-round capabilities I aspire to in the foreseeable future.
“The recent Test tour of India underscored my substantial lag in bowling proficiency following knee surgery and nine months without bowling.
I eagerly anticipate representing Durham in the County Championship prior to our Test summer kickoff.
I extend my best wishes to Jos [Buttler], Motty [Matthew Mott], and the entire team as they endeavor to defend our title.”
England’s title defense commences on June 4 in Barbados against Scotland, with Australia, Oman, and Namibia also in their group.
Leave a Reply