England Test captain and dynamic all-rounder Ben Stokes hinted at the possibility of extending his return to One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year.
Stokes, who announced his retirement from ODI cricket during the home series against South Africa in 2022, undid his decision to represent England in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
The defending champions did not fare well in the tournament, suffering an early exit and finishing seventh with six points in nine matches.
Ben Stokes, who was brought out of the ODI retirement by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), however, did well with the bat as he scored 304 runs in six appearances at a brilliant average of over 50. He also scored a century in the global event.
The all-rounder has not played an ODI since England’s last ICC World Cup 2023 fixture against Pakistan.
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Meanwhile, in his recent interview with The Telegraph, Ben Stokes admitted that it is tough to turn down an opportunity to big events such as the Champions Trophy but asserted that he would be “happy either way”.
“It’s hard to turn down those sort of big events, isn’t it? If I didn’t play another white-ball game, I’ll be very content with how many games I’ve played and what I’ve been able to achieve,” said Stokes.
“I don’t know what the plan is going forward, whether they see me being a part of that or not. I’m sure there’ll be some conversation at some point about that. And I’ll be happy either way,” he added.
Ben Stokes played a vital role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph. He scored an unbeaten 84 in the final against New Zealand and forced the match into a Super Over before Jofra Archer’s exploits helped England lift their maiden ODI World Cup title by ‘the barest of margins’.
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