ICC World Cup 2023: Joe Root Opens Up On Ben Stokes' Retirement In ODI Format, Says 'It's Got Nothing To Do With Me'

Right-handed English batsman Joe Root spoke on Ben Stokes’ return from his retirement in the ODI format and said that he has nothing to do with Stokes’ overturning his retirement decision.

Ben Stokes recently decided to come back from his retirement in the ODI format and once the decision was made, the England selection committee did not waste any time and included him in the squad and kept Harry Brook out of the squad.

When Joe Root was asked if he played any part to convince Ben Stokes to overturn his decision then Root replied that he has nothing to do with it.

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Root added that when he was the captain, he used to ask Ben Stokes to not ball, but the English Test skipper used to not listen to him.

Root further praised Ben Stokes’ presence in the squad and that he will bring more confidence to the squad since he is a proper match-winner.

“It’s got nothing to do with me! Are you joking? Did you not see my tenure as captain, the amount of times I would tell him to stop bowling and he would tell me to f*** off?! I didn’t see the point in even trying! You know every other international team are looking thinking, ‘Damn, I thought we got rid of him!’ At the same time, it fills the rest of the squad with confidence, knowing you’ve got a proven match-winner who will always seek out those big moments,” Joe Root said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The best player we’ve ever produced as a country: Joe Root on Ben Stokes

Joe Root heaped praise on the English Test skipper and said that he is the best player England have ever produced in the country.

“You look at the two World Cup finals we won, and he won for us. Even the one we lost against West Indies in 2016, he still took on the big moment – he wanted that final over. To be able to come back from that in the manner that he has and deliver some of the things he has done in an England shirt is a testament to what a legend he is in the game. Probably, I think, the best player we’ve ever produced as a country,” Joe Root added.

Jos Buttler-led England will take on New Zealand in the inaugural match of the forthcoming ODI World Cup in India on October 5th at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.