England all-rounder Ben Stokes has disclosed that he has agreed to play the ODI World Cup in India on condition that he will not bowl in the tournament. He has already conveyed this decision to England’s ODI captain Jos Buttler.
“Having a chance to play in another World Cup is great. Going there as world champions and trying to retain it is something that was quite appealing to me. I had to tell Jos that if you want to make that decision and pick me, you have to make that decision on the basis of me not bowling a ball out there,” Stokes said ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand.
Stokes had announced his retirement from the 50-over version in July 2022, citing heavy workload as a multi-format player and concerns about a persistent left knee injury. However, in August this year he reversed the decision. He was subsequently named in England’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand.