England’s defending champions will be competing in this year’s Twenty20 World Cup without star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has opted out of selection as he focuses on regaining his bowling fitness. The decision to skip the IPL and the World Cup is seen as a sacrifice that will benefit Stokes in the long run.
Stokes, who is also England’s Test captain, is committed to getting fully fit to fulfill his role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket. The England Cricket Board (ECB) stated that Stokes’s main priority is to be fit to bowl in the upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. Stokes had surgery on his knee last year, which has affected his bowling performance recently.
The 32-year-old acknowledged that he was behind in terms of bowling fitness during the recent Test series in India. He plans to return to action for Durham in the County Championship before the start of the Test summer. England’s preparations for the World Cup will include a series against Pakistan before facing Scotland, Australia, Oman, and Namibia in the group stage. The tournament will then progress to the Super 8s and knockout stages.
Stokes’ absence will be a blow to England’s hopes of retaining their T20 World Cup title.
In summary, Ben Stokes has opted out of selection for England’s Twenty20 World Cup team as he focuses on getting fully fit for his role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket. His absence from bowling duties due to injury and surgery has affected his performance recently, but he is determined to regain his form before returning to action with Durham in the County Championship before the start of the Test summer.
