England, the defending champions of the T20 World Cup, will be entering this year’s tournament without their all-rounder Ben Stokes as he focuses on regaining his bowling fitness. Stokes made the decision to opt out of selection for the tournament in order to work on becoming a full all-rounder in all formats of cricket.
Stokes, who is also England’s Test captain, emphasized the importance of regaining his bowling abilities to fully contribute to the team in all aspects of the game. The England Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed Stokes’s decision in a statement, where he expressed his commitment to building his bowling fitness to play a complete role for the team.
The ECB stated that Stokes’s main goal is to achieve full fitness to bowl in the upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. The all-rounder last played in a T20 international during the World Cup final in November 2022 and has been working on recovering from a knee surgery that limited his bowling opportunities.
England will be aiming to defend their title in the upcoming tournament, despite Stokes’s absence. The ECB has not yet announced who will replace him in the squad but has confirmed that they are looking forward to showcasing their skills and competing at the highest level.
In preparation for the World Cup, England will be playing a four-match T20 series against Pakistan. The tournament will be held in the West Indies and the United States in June, with England facing group matches against Scotland, Australia, Oman and Namibia before proceeding to the Super 8s and knockout stages.
