Provisional England World Cup 2023 squad is out. And there is good news for fans. England’s World Cup 2019 hero Ben Stokes has unretired from ODIs. With World Cup 2023 on the horizon, he will prepare for the mega event in India with ENG vs NZ series. However, Jofra Archer will only be a travelling reserve. England selector Luke Wright confirmed that the 15-member squad for NZ series is also provisional WC squad.
England Men’s National Selector, Luke Wright, said: “The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again.“
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Following England vs India series in July 2022, Ben Stokes shocked the world when he announced his retirement from ODI cricket. He cited fatigue of playing all three formats and tough scheduling as reason.
Soon after that, Ben Stokes played a crucial knock in the final of T20 World Cup 2022 to help England win their second T20 WC title.
It opened the floodgates with fans and ex-players demanding Stokes to return to ODIs for World Cup 2023 at least.
Despite declining earlier, recently, Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott spoke to the England Test captain to unretire for WC. He has finally agreed.
Will Ben Stokes bowl in ENG vs NZ?
The big question, for now, is whether Ben Stokes will play as an all-rounder or as a pure middle-order batter. Stokes is carrying a knee injury and has limited his bowling even in Tests.
However, England need an all-rounder like Stokes in ODIs. He was crucial with wickets in WC 2019. He bowled 50.5 overs and scalped 7 wickets in 11 games. With the bat, he scored 465 runs including 84 not out in the final against New Zealand that took England to the title.
Jos Buttler recently said he is okay with Stokes returning only as a batter. His big impact in finals makes him and invaluable asset for England Cricket Team.
On Jofra Archer, Luke Wright confirmed that he is not fit yet. But will be among travelling reserves.
“He’s not going to come round quite quick enough, especially for the first part of the World Cup. There is a duty of care with him. We have to make sure that long-term, we get it right because we see him as a huge asset,” he said.
England ODI squad for NZ series (WC provisional 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
Travelling Reserve: Jofra Archer
England T20 squad for NZ Series:
Jos Buttler (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, John Turner, Luke Wood
ENG vs NZ T20 Series schedule
- 1st T20: Aug 30 at Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street
- 2nd T20: Sep 1 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
- 3rd T20: Sep 3 at Edgbaston, Birmingham
- 4th T20: Sep 5 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
ENG vs NZ ODI Series schedule
- 1st ODI: Sep 8 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
- 2nd ODI: Sep 10 at The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
- 3rd ODI: Sep 13 at The Kia Oval, London
- 4th ODI: Sep 15 at Lord’s, London
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