Will be great if we can get Ben Stokes back in ODIs for World Cup 2023, remarks Matthew Mott

Ben Stokes has made headlines recently as he played a key role in England’s T20 World Cup 2022 victory scoring a fifty in the final and taking them over the finish line. Stokes orchestrated run chases in the matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He also bowled well taking six wickets from six innings at an economy of 6.79. The all-rounder would have played a crucial role for England in ODIs as the World Cup is to be held next year but he retired from the format last summer citing the reason to be the jam packed cricketing schedule. 

Reflecting on Stokes’ role in the team, head coach Matthew Mott hinted that the team will try to get him back in the ODIs as his role will be important for the team in the ODI World Cup. 

“When he spoke to me about his ODI retirement one of the first things I said was that I’d back any decision he made, but I said to him he didn’t necessarily have to retire – he could just not play 50-overs for a while,” Mott stated, reported the Telegraph.

"The more we can get him is great. He’s doing an amazing job with the Test captaincy but he is a very big cog in the wheel when he comes back to white-ball.”

After staying away from the format for a long time. Stokes made a return to the T20Is with the series against Australia. He didn't play a very significant role in the series but his knocks with the bat in crucial matches in the T20 World Cup were of utmost importance for the team. Mott praised the all-rounder saying the T20 format suits him the most.

“When he retired from ODI cricket I think it was a good decision and the right one being Test captain and having a lot on his plate,” he remarked. 

"But I think the T20 format suits him, he’s a three dimensional player and he has so much to offer. In that team he was the glue and I think we have a lot of guys who can take the game on and do extraordinary things but he was the player you knew that if he was in you’d win the game.”

England will be up against Australia in a three-match ODI series from November 17 and will look forward to continuing their winning momentum beating the hosts.