NEW DELHI: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain expressed his disappointment at Ben Stokes‘ decision to opt out of England’s title defence for the T20 World Cup, describing his absence as a significant setback for the team.
Stokes announced on Tuesday that he has opted out of consideration for England’s squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from June 1-29 in the West Indies and USA.Instead, he expressed his intention to focus on England’s upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, slated to commence in July.

Stokes played a pivotal role in England’s triumph at the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup, where his unbeaten fifty in a challenging chase proved instrumental in securing victory over Pakistan in the final at the MCG. His contributions were hailed as crucial by cricketing pundits and fans alike.

“It’s not a surprise but it is a bit of a blow. You want your big-game players. England had a very poor 50-over World Cup and you feel that Rob Key and the selectors are going to change a little bit,” said Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
“I felt it was like a bit of the end of an era for that great white ball side that Eoin Morgan built and Buttler took over. They are defending champions of this title and you hope they will have a better fist of it than they did in India.”
“In a big game or during a semi-final you’d want to have someone like Stokes around but I think he’s made the right decision. He said it wasn’t just for Test match cricket, he wants to get his body right and wants to be an all-rounder in all formats of the game.”
Former England captain Michael Atherton commented on fast-bowling all-rounder Ben Stokes’ decision to withdraw himself from contention for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, stating that it’s not a huge surprise given his ongoing recovery from knee surgery.
“I don’t think it’s a massive surprise given that had already delayed his operation and recovery from his knee injury for the 50-over World Cup. He would’ve certainly been picked. He wants to get back to being an all-rounder in the Test team but England also have a very important 2025 when they take on India at home and then Australia in the Ashes.”
“Of all the three formats the T20 format, because it’s the shortest format of the game and is the one where players have a limited chance to stamp their mark, is the one he is the least valuable for England. I feel like England will start to inject some new blood into their T20 and 50-over side.”
Fast-bowler Ollie Robinson expressed confidence that Stokes’ decision to skip the T20 World Cup will allow him to return to his peak performance for the upcoming Test matches at home. Robinson highlighted Stokes’ passion for representing England and his determination to reclaim his status as the premier all-rounder in the world.
England’s campaign to defend the Men’s T20 World Cup title is scheduled to commence on June 4 against Scotland at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. They will then compete in group matches against Australia, Oman, and Namibia before progressing to the knockout stages.
(With IANS inputs)