England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday (July 6) announced a revised 18-member squad for the upcoming home ODI series against Pakistan after the initial team was forced to isolate due to three players and four staff testing positive for COVID-19.
Ace all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was out of action after sustaining a finger injury during the first half of IPL 2021, has been named the captain of the new-look squad.
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Amid the development, Stokes on Wednesday (July 7) said it would be an understatement if he says he was not expecting to captain England.
It was so unexpected for Stokes that he had only packed clothes for three days away from home.
"To say that I wasn’t expecting to be leading England out in a one day match in Cardiff this week would be a huge understatement. But here we are, and duty calls. I only packed clothes for three days away from home, so there will need to be a bit of extra washing done,” Stokes wrote in his column for The Mirror.
The all-rounder also conceded that he wasn’t ready to play white-ball cricket this early.
"With my finger still on the mend, the initial plan for me wasn’t to play any international white-ball cricket at all and just focus on getting absolutely ready for the India Test series, but things change," he wrote.
The fresh features nine uncapped cricketers but Stokes isn’t too concerned about it.
"We might be 20 first choice players down through isolation and injuries, but we will still be putting out a proper international class side with plenty of experience at the highest level. I’m not sure how many countries could lose this many players and still have such quality to choose from at such short notice.
"We are lucky to have the strength in depth that we have in white ball cricket, and this is just a fantastic opportunity for these players to show what they can do," he remarked.
The three-match ODIs series between England and Pakistan, part of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League, will kick-off on July 8 while the third and final match will be played on July 13.
Both the teams will also play three T20Is from July 16-20 and the England players, who have been sent into isolation, are expected to be available for the shortest format.
