According to England’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott, England Cricket management will definitely keep places for all-rounder Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer in the T20I squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
After the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, Stokes underwent knee surgery and is currently in recovery, aiming to be fit for the upcoming Test series against India. He will be absent from this year’s IPL as a part of workload management.
On the other hand, Archer has faced a string of injuries, leading to his absence from both the Ashes 2023 and this year’s World Cup. Furthermore, the fast bowler chose not to participate in the IPL Auction 2024 after being released by the Mumbai Indians.
Mott shared his perspective on both players and assessed their chances of securing spots in the T20 World Cup squad. The England white-ball coach praised Stokes as an extraordinary talent, emphasizing the convenience of having a seam bowler of his caliber in the top six. Mott expressed confidence that Stokes would be undoubtedly selected in the squad.
While speaking to BBC, Mott said, “Every team in the world wants someone like that [Stokes] and they’re rare. A lot of the time you have to give up something. If you win, everyone says ‘Oh, they got it right’. If you lose, it’s ‘they were a bowler short or a spinner short. When you’ve got a seam bowler in your top six, it makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So [choosing him at the T20 World Cup] is a given.”
He further added, “In terms of Jofra, you’ve just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings. Him in the park is massive, everyone would agree with that.”
