Ben Stokes to make World Cup return: Retirement reversal sparks viral memes

Last year, in July, the all-rounder decided to retire from ODIs, citing the strain of playing in three formats as "unsustainable."

Ben Stokes

In a significant turnaround, Ben Stokes has chosen to overturn his decision to retire from one-day international (ODI) cricket, securing a spot in England's World Cup squad. Stokes is part of the 15-player roster selected for the series against New Zealand, aligning with the timing of the World Cup 2023.

About Ben Stokes' retirement:

Last year, in July, the all-rounder decided to retire from ODIs, citing the strain of playing in three formats as "unsustainable." While continuing to lead the England Test side and participate in T20 internationals, Stokes played a pivotal role in securing England's World Cup victory in the shortest format in November.

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Even in the recent past, just a month ago, he reaffirmed his retirement from ODIs, intending to use a six-month hiatus from Test cricket to address a persistent left-knee issue.

With Stokes staging a comeback, X (formerly known as Twitter) witnessed a flurry of memes shared by netizens.

England vs New Zealand:

Among the squad announcements, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, both batters, have not secured spots. Additionally, due to a lack of timely fitness, pace bowler Jofra Archer will be absent. However, the uncapped Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson, aged 25, has been included in the group, under the leadership of Jos Buttler.

Nonetheless, Matthew Mott, the white-ball coach, revealed that Captain Buttler initiated discussions with Stokes about a potential return. This eventually led to Stokes' inclusion in the forthcoming four matches against New Zealand in September and the subsequent World Cup.

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"It wasn't really a case of changing his mind. He was always interested in coming back," said national selector Luke Wright.

"It wasn't a case of needing to beg him or anything like that, he was always keen, so it was actually fairly straightforward. Once his body was in a good place and he'd had a rest, he was really keen to play."

England squad for the ODI series against New Zealand: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.

England squad for the T20 series against New Zealand: Jos Buttler (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, John Turner, Luke Wood.

As for the World Cup 2023 which is scheduled for October and November, England will defend their title in India. Their campaign begins on October 5th in Ahmedabad against New Zealand, a rematch of the thrilling 2019 final.

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