Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy. (Photo: Twitter)

England became the first team in cricket history to hold two white-ball championships. The Three Lions won the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup on home soil in 2019 and will try to defend their title in India in October this year. England’s white-ball captain said that they are planning for the upcoming World Cup without Ben Stokes, the hero of the 2019 final.

England Test captain Ben Stokes shocked the cricket community by announcing his retirement from the ODI format in July 2022, citing scheduling issues. The left-handed batsman played a crucial role in winning the World Cup and was named Man of the Match in the final. He played an unbeaten innings, and helped his team win their first championship.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14 : Ben Stokes of England with the trophy after the ICC Cricket World Cup Final between New Zealand and England at Lord's on July 14, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: Ben Stokes of England with the trophy after the ICC Cricket World Cup Final between New Zealand and England at Lord’s on July 14, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

He’d Be Welcomed Back With Open Arms – Jos Buttler

Ahead of the first ODI against South Africa on Friday, Jos Buttler said that the team would welcome Ben Stokes back with open arms if he wanted to reconsider his retirement from the 50-over format.

Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler. Pic Credits: Twitter.

“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 won’t be available,” Jos Buttler said.

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Earlier this week, England white-ball coach Matthew Mott said that he was confident the 31-year-old would change his mind and come out of retirement. He said, “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. we leave the door open.”

Stokes was named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year for 2022 on Thursday, January 26. He revived England Test cricket with his aggressive approach and has led his team to victory in nine of his ten Tests.

He has scored 870 runs, including two centuries, and taken 26 wickets in the longer format. He scored 143 runs, took seven wickets in nine T20Is, and played a match-winning 52-run knock against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup final.

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