England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday that Ben Stokes has decided to rule himself out of England’s defense of the Twenty20 World Cup title in June. The ECB stated that Stokes is focusing on building his bowling fitness to be able to fulfill a full allrounder role in all cricket formats and prepare for the upcoming home test series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Stokes played a crucial role in England’s victory in the 2022 final against Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten 52. Despite his knee issues, he delayed surgery to come out of one-day international retirement to help England in the Cricket World Cup in India last October. After England’s disappointing group stage exit, Stokes underwent knee surgery in November.
Despite recovering, Stokes struggled to bowl until the last test in March, where he managed only five overs. He expressed that opting out of the IPL and the T20 World Cup is a necessary sacrifice to ensure he can perform to his fullest potential in the long run. He reflected on the recent tour of India and acknowledged the work needed to regain his bowling fitness after being out for nine months post-surgery.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States, starting on June 1. Stokes’ absence from the English squad will be a significant loss as they aim to defend their title. However, with this sacrifice, he hopes this will allow him to become the allrounder he aspires to be in future cricket seasons.
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