When England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced their provisional squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup last month, there was a notable inclusion in it.
Ben Stokes was named in the 15-member squad after the leading all-rounder reversed his ODI retirement decision.
Notably, Stokes, who played a key role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph, had called time on his 50-over career in July last year, citing that he was not able to give his 100 percent and playing all three formats amid a busy schedule is "unsustainable" for him.
However, the 32-year-old made a U-turn on his retirement call and England selectors were more than happy to greet him back into the ODI squad.
While Stokes will feature in the World Cup as a specialist batter due to his long-standing knee issues, the all-rounder has hinted that he may undergo surgery after the quadrennial event, which could rule him out of their tour of India early next year.
England will travel to India for a five-match Test series, scheduled to be played from January 25 to March 11. The Test captain will only play as a batter in the tour of India or undergo surgery and miss the tour completely.
“The words World Cup are pretty inspiring. The idea of going in and potentially being able to win back-to-back World Cups was one of the big things,” Stokes told BBC on Thursday (September 7).
The 32-year-old also talked about his plans to manage his knee after the showpiece tournament.
“There will be potential of something happening after the World Cup.”
Stokes, however, said this was not the right time for him to make a decision as England are gearing up for the World Cup with a home ODI series against New Zealand.
“There’s quite a long time off after the World Cup. I’ve been having some good conversations with some specialists. There is a plan in place. When we do what we need to do to give myself a chance of getting back to being a genuine all-rounder there will be a time when I can say what I’m doing," Stokes stated.
“I want to be playing next summer as a genuine all-rounder. This winter is all about playing this World Cup, then getting this knee sorted,” he further remarked.
If Stokes decides to take part in the India tour as a specialist batter and undergoes surgery afterwards, he might miss out on the IPL and the home summer.
(With IANS Inputs)
