Memories of World Cup glory in 2019 convinced Ben Stokes to return for England title defence… but talisman has doubts over all-rounder role due to chronic knee injury
- Ben Stokes has delayed a decision on surgery on his chronic knee injury
- Bowling remains out of the question until next month’s tournament in India
- He will play as a specialist batsman in one-day international against New Zealand
Ben Stokes returns to one-day international cricket still uncertain he will ever again be able to fulfil the all-round role he craves with England.
Stokes plays as a specialist batsman in the first of four 50-over games against New Zealand on Friday that will act as dress rehearsals for England’s defence of the World Cup admitting he has put off for now any possible surgery on the chronic knee injury that will not go away.
Bowling remains out of the question, at least until after next month’s tournament in India when Stokes promised he would reveal his plan to try to somehow return to the dual role that means so much to both him and the balance of any England side.
Whether that will include an operation or another prolonged spell of rehabilitation for what is a complicated condition remains unclear. But for now Stokes is happy to delay decision time on his all-round future to have a crack at winning another 50-over World Cup.
‘I’ve had some good conversations with specialists in different fields around rehab and a plan going forward after the World Cup,’ said Stokes as England’s practiced at Sophia Gardens. ‘There will be potential for something happening after the World Cup.’
Ben Stokes (above) helped England win the 50-over World Cup at Lord’s in 2019
England star has delayed a decision on surgery to have a crack at winning another World Cup
Just what that something will be remains the big question, particularly as any surgery would jeopardise his chances of playing a full part in a packed 2024 that begins with a five-Test tour of India, continues with the IPL, then sees another Twenty20 World Cup in June in the Caribbean and finishes with 12 Tests all crammed in before Christmas.
‘There will be a time when I make clear what’s going on but I don’t think now is the right time to do that,’ said Stokes rather mysteriously when pushed about surgery.
The sad truth is that we may never again see Stokes playing a decisive role with the ball, either in his role as Test captain or in his renewed status as talisman of both Jos Buttler’s white-ball sides. ‘You go through different thoughts,’ admitted Stokes.
‘At the end of the Ashes my knee was sore and I’d had another difficult series with the ball. You do feel ‘can I be arsed with this anymore?’ But then you pull yourself away from that, keep pushing on and try to give yourself the best chance of bowling again.
‘I will be doing intensive work from now until next summer making sure I do all I can to allow me to play as an all-rounder for the next two to three years. I get bored in the field when I’m not a bowler!’
For now he could jeopardise part of next year – the IPL would surely be the first thing to go – by coming out of the 50-over retirement he put in place last year when the demands of being an all-format player in an evolving cricket world became too much.
‘The words ‘World Cup’ are pretty inspiring,’ said Stokes when about his 50-over u-turn from a decision he insisted was final even as recently as before the last Ashes Test. ’Winning in 2019 was an unbelievable moment for the team and myself and the idea of going to India as champions and potentially being able to win back-to-back World Cups was a big part of my decision.
‘I wouldn’t say it was a tough call. There were obviously just a lot of things to think about. I needed to see how I got through the Ashes and then think about all that cricket coming up next year. When I actually had to make my decision it was easy.’
Stokes will return at No 4 in what is the first full-strength England squad for any 50-over series since that famous day at Lord’s four years ago when the Test captain inspired their World Cup final victory at Lord’s over New Zealand ‘by the barest of margins.’
But the big question that needs to be resolved here in Cardiff, at Southampton on Sunday and then next week at the Oval and Lord’s is who will make way from what was said by selector Luke Wright to be England’s World Cup squad for Harry Brook.
England have got themselves in a pickle over Brook. Bringing back Stokes was a no-brainer but it remains unbelievable Brook was the man to then miss out and England have seemingly spent the drawn T20 series against New Zealand regretting it.
Stokes to play as a specialist batsman in one-day international against New Zealand on Friday
So Brook has been added to what was originally a 15-man squad for this series along with Brydon Carse and the Yorkshireman now looks certain to go to India.
But Brook was absent from Cardiff on Thursday along with one of the prime candidates to make way for him in Dawid Malan, who went home to Harrogate to be with his wife who is expecting a baby in the coming days.
Both Brook and Malan are due to report back to Cardiff but are unlikely to play in this first game, with attention switching to others suddenly under threat for their World Cup places in Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone and even perhaps David Willey.
‘I know one thing,’ smiled Stokes. ‘I’m glad it’s not me making that decision!’
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