ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Ben Stokes And Jofra Archer To Be Ruled Out Of World Cup? England Coach Provides Massive Update

England’s white-ball coach, Matthew Mott, has confirmed that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer are strong contenders to be included in the squad for next year’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America in June.

Ben Stokes is expected to make himself available for the upcoming T20 World Cup, despite not participating in ODIs. The all-rounder played a pivotal role in leading the England team to victory in the final match of the previous edition of the ICC T20 tournament in Australia.

Stokes is currently in recovery after undergoing knee surgery following the World Cup 2023 campaign. He made himself unavailable for the Indian Premier League 2024 due to workload management, positioning himself to be directly available for the T20 World Cup.

Ben Stokes’ Incredible Match-Winning Ability In Every Department -Matthew Mott

Speaking ahead of the 5th T20I against the West Indies, Matthew Mott highlighted Ben Stokes‘ match-winning abilities and significance as a seam bowler in the top six, providing valuable options for team balance.

“I think that’s a given. Aside from Ben Stokes’ incredible match-winning ability in every department is that ability to have a seam bowler in that top six. [That] gives you so many options with your team balance. Every team in the world wants someone like that and they’re rare,” Mott said.

“A lot of the time you have to give up something. If you win, everyone says ‘oh, they got it right’. If you lose, it’s ‘they were a bowler short or a spinner short’. When you’ve got a seam bowler in your top six, it makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So [choosing him at the T20 World Cup] is a given,” he added.

Absolute Box-Office Pace – Matthew Mott On Jofra Archer

Mott praised Jofra Archer as an ‘absolute box-office’ pacer, emphasizing his ability to bowl in any phase of the innings. Mott mentioned ongoing discussions within the team about Archer’s inclusion, and he noted that the medical team is formulating a plan.

“In terms of Jofra, you’ve just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace. He can bowl any over in the innings. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that. We’re going to discuss that in the next couple of days. We’re going to get through this series and the medical team have been meeting in the background about the plan,” Mott further added.

Jofra Archer has faced a series of injuries, causing him to miss the Ashes 2023 and this year’s World Cup. Archer’s long-standing elbow injury resurfaced during his time with the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 IPL. The fast bowler opted out of the IPL Auction 2024 after being released by the Mumbai Indians and is currently undergoing rehab.

England faced initial setbacks, losing the first two T20Is against the West Indies. However, they managed to win the next two games. The series decider is scheduled for December 21 in Trinidad. Notably, England lost the three-match ODI series 2-1 during the tour.

Also read: “Relentless Icing To Get The Swelling…” – Ben Stokes Shares Update About His Knee Post Surgery