Ben Stokes remain doubtful for T20 World Cup 2021: The English star all-rounder Ben Stokes could probably miss the entire T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE following his decision to withdraw from the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Stokes took an abrupt indefinite break from all cricketing actions to support his mental wellbeing just before the start of ongoing England vs India test series. The cricketer eventually also pulled out of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) and has raised red flags over his participation in the showpiece ICC event.
The all-rounder featured for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in just a solitary game in phase one before he sustained a finger fracture following which he was ruled out. Reportedly, the cricketer is still on with his healing process and the people close to him claim that Stokes is not even thinking of cricket at the moment.
The England cricket felt the absence of Stokes in the England vs India test series, especially when their premier pacers were getting injured one by one. Stokes has been a vital cog in England’s cricket setup regardless of the format. He has been an integral part of the squad for a long time now and is known for his sheer brilliance with both bat and ball.
The 30 years old cricketer didn’t have fruitful memories of the T20 World Cup as he was smacked for four sixes in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup final by Carlos Brathwaite to end English hopes of winning T20 glory. However, the time has changed since then, Stokes has improved leaps and bounds to become priceless for England cricket.
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Teams to submit T20 Squads by 10th September:
The global cricket body, ICC, has alarmed the World Cup playing nations to submit their final T20 squad by 10th September. Teams are informed to bring up a 15-men squad along with three reserve players for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021.
ICC has also confirmed that the teams can make necessary changes in the squad by 10th October, which is one week prior to the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers.
England has a good chance to make Stokes available at the last stage as well, however, the cricket board has already cleared its intentions to give the cricketer as much time he requires.
Chris Silverwood, England head coach, earlier informed that the team would never force Ben Stokes to play. He will be given ample time to get into the right mental space and whenever he is convinced he can rejoin the squad, the management will welcome him with open arms.
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