Ravichandran Ashwin, the prominent Indian spinner, has added his perspective to the recent news of Ben Stokes contemplating a comeback to England’s ODI team for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup. Ashwin’s response draws a quirky analogy from the world of cinema to the cricketing scenario.
Ben Stokes, renowned for his all-around capabilities, is reportedly considering rejoining England’s ODI squad to assist in their title defence. After being an integral part of the team that secured England’s first-ever World Cup triumph in 2019, Stokes announced his retirement from ODIs last year to focus more on Test cricket, where he was named the captain of England’s red-ball team.
Recent reports from England indicate that the star all-rounder might reconsider his ODI retirement, with the onus potentially resting on captain Jos Buttler to convince Stokes to make a comeback. England’s white-ball coach, Matthew Mott, hinted at this approach, indicating that Buttler’s influence could play a role in persuading Stokes.
Ashwin said, “Jos will probably lead the way on that communication, but Ben’s pretty straight with all of us. We will see if he’s keen.”
Using a reference from the Tamil movie “Friends” featuring Vadivelu, Ravichandran Ashwin humorously related the situation to the cinematic scenario. He mentioned that Buttler’s responsibility resembles a scene from the movie where a character is tasked with observing another character. Ashwin playfully implied that Buttler must keep an eye on Stokes and be responsible for convincing him to return for the 50-over World Cup.
“As Vadivelu says to a guy in the movie Friends, “Dude, watch that guy for some time. According to Matthew Mott, Jos Buttler’s duty is to watch Ben Stokes. So, Jos Buttler is keeping an eye on Ben Stokes. It’s Jos Buttler’s responsibility now to bring Ben Stokes out of retirement and make him available for the 50-over World Cup,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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Ashwin’s comparison underscores the dynamics at play when influencing a player’s decision regarding comebacks or retirements. Buttler’s role, as suggested by Mott’s comments, reflects the pivotal role he might play in enticing Stokes back to the ODI format.
Interestingly, Ben Stokes himself demonstrated a similar influence recently.
