Ben Stokes withdraw himself from T20 World Cup 2024
The England star all-rounder and 2022 World Cup winner Ben Stokes withdraw himself from T20 World Cup 2024. On 2nd April 2024, Ben Stokes requested the England Cricket Board (ECB) not to consider himself in the England squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Ben Stokes is England’s current Test Captain and he made the decision to opt out of the 2024 T20 World Cup to gain full bowling fitness for the upcoming two-Test Series in England’s summer season and for all the cricket in the future.
Stating on his decision, Ben Stokes said “I’m working hard and concentrating on gaining my bowling fitness back to accomplish a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of the game. Withdrawing from the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup 2024 will hopefully be a sacrifice that will help me to become the all-rounder which I want to be in the future.
“The recently concluded test tour of India highlighted how far behind I was from a bowling perspective after my knee surgery and nine months without bowling. I’m now looking forward to play for Durham in the County Championship before the beginning of home Test summer. I wish Jos Buttler & Matthew Mott and rest of the team the best of luck in defending our T20 WC title.
Ben Stokes has represented England in 43 T20 internationals so far where he scored 585 runs with batting in 36 innings with an average of 21.66 at a strike rate of 128 and his high score is 52 not out. With his bowling in T20Is, Ben Stokes took 26 wickets with a best bowling figure of 3/26 with an average of 32.92 at an economy of 8.39 with a strike rate of 23.5 in his 36 innings of 43 matches.
In 2023, Ben Stokes came out of ODI retirement on ECB request and joined the England team in the ODI World Cup 2023. Though, unfortunately, Ben Stokes faced knee issues throughout the ODI WC 2023 and took part only in 6 out of England’s 9 matches as a specialist batter only. He underwent knee surgery after the World Cup and made his return for the England tour to India for the 5-match Test series in 2024.
England team are the defending champions in the forthcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies & USA. England managed to win the previous edition of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia where they beat Pakistan in the Final of the tournament.
It was Ben Stokes who played a key role in the Final with his calm and composed 52* runs on 49 balls and also hit the winning run to seal the victory for England in their second T20 title. England is placed in Group B in the T20 WC 2024 with Australia, Scotland, Oman and Namibia and will start their campaign against Scotland on 4 June 2024 in Barbados.