On August 16, Ben Stokes, the captain of the England Test cricket team, made a surprising return to One Day International (ODI) cricket by coming out of retirement. He has been included in the provisional squad for the upcoming 50-over World Cup, which is set to start in India on October 5. Notable absences from the squad are talented batsman Harry Brook and fast bowler Jofra Archer.
Stokes, who had stepped away from ODI cricket last year citing the challenges of playing in all formats, has now reversed his decision and his inclusion has been praised by national selector Luke Wright. The 32-year-old all-rounder will rejoin the team for the forthcoming four-match ODI series against New Zealand. Wright also clarified that the squad announced for the New Zealand series is the same as the provisional World Cup squad.
Regarding Archer, who has been prone to injuries, he will only be part of England’s World Cup plans as a reserve player who will travel with the team.
Also read: Jofra Archer Excluded from England World Cup 2023 Squad
Luke Wright, in a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), expressed enthusiasm about Stokes’ return, highlighting his match-winning capabilities and leadership. Additionally, Gus Atkinson, a 25-year-old fast bowler, has received his first call-up to the international squad.
Unfortunately, despite his impressive performances, 24-year-old Harry Brook has not found a place in the provisional squad. This decision underscores the depth of talent in English cricket, according to Wright. Brook recently achieved the distinction of being the fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs based on the number of balls faced. He also played a crucial innings of 75 runs in the third Ashes Test.
Luke Wright acknowledged the difficulty of omitting certain players due to the limited number of spots in the squad. He emphasized the strength and depth of cricket talent in England and mentioned that there are other players knocking on the door for selection.
Teams have until September 5 to formally submit their provisional World Cup squads to the International Cricket Council (ICC), and further changes can be made until September 28.
England’s provisional World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes