Stokes set deadline to make World Cup decision as England hope star will return

08 March 2023 , 09:17

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Ben Stokes was England's hero when they won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 (Image: Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

England white ball coach Matthew Mott says he will give Ben Stokes until "halfway through the summer" to make a decision on his involvement in the 50-over World Cup.

Stokes was England's hero when they won the 2019 tournament, scoring an unbeaten 84 in the final against New Zealand as England emerged triumphant in one of the greatest games of all time.

However, he retired from ODI cricket last year due to concerns over the "unsustainable" schedule and a desire to focus on captaining the Test team. But Mott is keen for him to reverse his decision ahead of England's title defence in India later this year.

After Stokes helped England become double World Champions last year, scoring an unbeaten half-century in the final as England won the T20 World Cup, Mott said: "I would absolutely ask him back. It's going to be a World Cup year and we don't play much T20 cricket for a while but it will be a decision that's up to him."

And following England's 2-1 series win over Bangladesh, their last ODI series for six months, Mott set a deadline for Stokes to make his decision. "I deliberately made an effort to leave Ben alone," he said.

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"The issue about if he wants to play: we don't need to know for a while. Halfway through that summer, gauging how he is feeling physically and mentally that will be his call if he wants to put himself up for selection.

"We'd welcome him back. We talk about team balance but a person that can bowl in any over of the game and can make big hundreds as well every team will cry out for that.

Stokes retired from ODIs last year, but England are hopeful he will reverse his decision for the World Cup (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

"The worst thing we can do is to put pressure on him to make a decision and we'll see how his body is holding up and see how he is feeling physically and mentally." Whether Stokes returns or not, Mott is keen for England to have more all-rounders capable of batting in the top order.

"We're talking about long-term thinking we want to try and get some more allrounders in that top-six so we can have the versatility to adapt to all conditions," he added. "Not just Ben I think in general in a World Cup you don't know what is going to happen this far out.

"We have seen some obscure injuries that have tested our depth. The more we can put players in positions that put them under pressure a bit; it is a very different mindset coming in at No.7 or No.8 to the top four, five batters."

Matthew Cooper