Vaibhav Tripathi
The Player of the Match in the 2019 World Cup final, Ben Stokes, believes that England have a very good chance of defending their World Cup crown.
“I don’t think it’s arrogance to say we’re a very good team. We’re in the mix. And what we now have in our favour, I think, is experience of huge games – an edge against sides who don’t play as many. I know franchise T20 cricket means a lot more players have been exposed to those situations; it’s great for that. But it doesn’t come close to wearing your country’s shirt, billions watching, knowing if you lose, you’re out,” he told The Guardian.
Stokes, part of England’s squad for the 2023 World Cup, played a pivotal role in England’s 2019 World Cup victory, notably scoring an unbeaten 84 in the final at Lord’s. He announced his retirement from the format in 2022, but made a comeback to play in the recent ODIs against New Zealand.
The ODI World Cup is scheduled to begin on October 5 in India, and England will commence their title defense against New Zealand on the opening day.