Adil Rashid has welcomed the likely return of “matchwinner” Ben Stokes to England’s one-day international squad for the World Cup this autumn, saying that attempting to drag the 32-year-old out of retirement was “a no‑brainer” given his outstanding record in white-ball cricket.
Stokes announced last July that he would stop playing the 50-over game, having decided that “I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format any more – three formats are just unsustainable for me now”. But, after Stokes scored an unbeaten half-century to guide the team to victory in the T20 World Cup final last November the England white‑ball coach, Matthew Mott, made clear that the door remained open for a potential return, and the process of making that happen has gathered pace in recent days.
Mott said last week that he intended to “see if he’s keen” with the white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, to be deployed as chief negotiator. “We are still hopeful,” Mott said. “Watching him throughout the Ashes series, he had such great presence. He’s done it for years when it comes to performing in one-day cricket so he’s an invaluable commodity.”
England’s selectors met on Tuesday to select a provisional 18‑man squad for the World Cup – they have until 28 September to name a final selection of 15 – as well as the squad to face New Zealand, in four T20s and four ODIs, before the tournament begins. Their selections will be announced on Wednesday, with Stokes’s name expected to be included.
On Tuesday Rashid, who has played 70 ODIs and 36 T20 internationals alongside Stokes, including winning World Cups over 50 overs in 2019 and 20 overs last year, said there would be no hesitation in welcoming England’s red-ball captain back into the fold.
“He’s a matchwinner, with the bat, the ball, in the field, and just in himself as well, the way he goes about the game,” Rashid said. “He’s proven that in the finals of both World Cups. We know he’s a player who can win you big matches and to have somebody like that in your team, it’s a no-brainer. Hopefully he’ll consider coming back.”
Though he made his name as an all-rounder Stokes has been managing a long-term injury to his left knee, which prevented him from bowling in the last three games of the recent Ashes series, and his return to the squad may come as a specialist batter. “Obviously it would be nice if Stokesy can bowl as well, to give us that extra seam option,” Rashid said. “But if Stokesy’s just batting, he’s won many games for England with the bat alone.”
Rashid said an England side boosted by Stokes’s return would have “a very good chance” of retaining the World Cup in India. “It’s hard to say because anybody can beat anybody but in our minds we’ve definitely got the motivation to go all the way, we’ve got the ability, we’ve got the talent to win matches from any position,” he said.
“We’ve got a World Cup to defend, and that’s a big excitement for the whole team.”
