England Cricket Board Confirms Ben Stokes’ Opt-Out from T20 World Cup to Focus on Bowling Fitness

England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be part of the defending champions’ squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Instead, he will focus on regaining his bowling fitness to become a full all-rounder in all formats of cricket.

Stokes, who is also England’s Test captain, believes that building up his bowling fitness is crucial to being able to contribute fully in all aspects of the game. The ECB stated that Stokes is keen on getting fully fit to bowl ahead of the upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.

After undergoing knee surgery last year, Stokes has been working on recovering his ability to bowl regularly. His absence from the T20 international squad since the World Cup final in November 2022 was due to his fitness concerns. Having only bowled five overs in the recent series against India, Stokes acknowledged that he was still behind in terms of bowling performance.

To prepare for the upcoming Test matches, Stokes will be focusing on playing for Durham in the County Championship. England will play a series against Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup, where they will face Scotland, Australia, Oman, and Namibia in the group matches. The T20 World Cup will take place in June in the West Indies and the United States, where England will aim to defend their title.

In conclusion, Ben Stokes has opted out of selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup as he focuses on regaining his bowling fitness and becoming a full all-rounder in all formats of cricket. He aims to be at his best for future tournaments and is prioritizing building up his fitness ahead of upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.