LONDON (Agencies): England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott eyeing to bring the 2019 World Cup hero Ben Stokes out of retirement to be part of the squad for their World Cup defence in India later this year.
Motts is also planning to take a gamble on fast bowler Jofra Archer amid his fitness vows, as he is ‘a proven performer.’
English selectors are expected to announce an 18-player squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India this Tuesday, which will be further trimmed down to the final 15 prior to September 28, as per ICC rules.
Matthew Mott has told the media that there are two elements, ‘a call from Jos Buttler to his fellow England captain Stokes’ and ‘an updated medical report on another hero of 2019 in Archer’ would be crucial before the selectors finalise the squad.
“Jos will probably lead the way on that communication (with Ben Stokes), but Ben’s pretty straight with all of us. We will see if he’s keen,” Mott said.
He further emphasized Stokes’s importance to the team in all three aspects of the game.
“There has not been a clear direction on what he’s going to do yet, but we are still hopeful. I’ve always said his bowling would be a bonus, but just look at what he brings with the bat, even in the field,” said Mott.
“Watching him throughout the whole Ashes series, he had such a great presence. He’s done it for years when it comes to performing in one-day cricket and so he’s an invaluable commodity,” he concluded.
Ben Stokes, announced his retirement from ODI cricket during the home series against South Africa last year. He made his ODI debut in 2011 and represented England in 105 ODI games.
The decorated all-rounder scored 2919 runs, including three centuries, and took 74 wickets in his glittering ODI career.
He played a vital role for England with his unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ODI World Cup against New Zealand and forced the match into a super over before Jofra Archer’s super over helped England lift their maiden ODI World Cup title by ‘the barest of margins’.
Jofra Archer was also a hero for England in their successful World Cup campaign in 2019.
However, his career has been plagued with injuries as he managed to play only seven games since the World Cup final against New Zealand in 2019.
However, the English coach is ready to take a risk, as Archer has been a ‘match-winner’ for the English side. “There is a high chance that we will take a risk on a proven performer that has done it on the world stage,”
“We are planning for him to be available. Obviously, a lot of things have to go his way and it will be a tight timeline but with players like that you are going to give them every opportunity to prove their fitness, and so we will keep an open mind.”
The England selection committee will also announce ODI and T20I squads to face New Zealand and Ireland in limited-overs series from August 30 to September 26.
World champions England will kick off their World Cup campaign in the opening game against 2019 finalists New Zealand on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
England eye to ‘unretire’ Ben Stokes for World Cup defence
