Australian former captain and batsman Tim Paine has given a bold statement on the “un-retirement” decision of Ben Stokes. One of the best all-rounders from England, Stokes had retired from ODIs in July last year, citing it being “unsustainable” for him to play all three formats, and also be leading England in Test cricket.
Stokes has secured his spot in England’s initial squad for the upcoming 50-overs World Cup, marking his comeback to the One Day International (ODI) format. He had previously retired from this format in July 2022. The rumors about his ODI’s comeback were already circulating earlier. This week, the verdict was ultimately reached, coming less than two months before the commencement of the worldwide tournament.
With England’s Test cricket break stretching until January 2024, a prominent figure from the 2019 World Cup success, Ben Stokes, has opted to reverse his retirement and attempt a comeback for the future World Cup. This move comes as England prepares to defend their reigning title as ODI world champions.
Under different conditions, it’s certainly likely that Harry Brook would have gained a berth in the England World Cup squad. However, Ben Stokes’ return has altered this position. The selectors, Luke Wright, and white-ball coach Matthew Mott, underlined that Stokes would largely contribute as a batsman due to his persistent knee ailment. This suggests that he will have a restricted role in bowling, as evidenced by his performance in the last Ashes series, and this tendency is projected to continue into the World Cup as well.
Tim Paine expressed his dissatisfaction with Ben Stokes‘ decision to end his retirement and participate in the World Cup. This move came after Stokes had been absent from the One Day International (ODI) format for the preceding year. Paine criticized Stokes for selectively deciding when to engage in matches, thereby occupying the place that could have been filled by another player like Brook.
Speaking with SEN Tassie, Tim Paine said: “Ben Stokes coming out of one-day retirement, I found that interesting. It was a bit of, ‘Me, me, me’, there isn’t it? It was, ‘I’ll pick and I’ll choose where I want to play and when I want to play’, and, ‘I’ll play in the big tournaments’.”
“The guys who played for 12 months, ‘Sorry, thanks. But can you go and sit on the bench because I want to play now?’
“I don’t know, he’s not bowling,” Paine said. “Harry Brook or Ben Stokes? As a bat. It would be very close, very, very close.”
