Ben Stokes Pulls Out of T20 World Cup 2024 to Prioritize Test Cricket

In a massive and significant turn of events, the England all-rounder Ben Stokes has ruled himself out of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 due to health concerns, choosing to focus on Test cricket instead.

This comes as a significant blow for the England team, as Stokes played a pivotal role in their 2019 World Cup campaign.

Earlier, Ben Stokes made himself unavailable for the entire IPL 2024 to prioritize his fitness for Test cricket, and now ruling himself out of the T20 World Cup suggests his serious commitment to and prioritization of Test cricket.

Even in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, it was Stokes who stole the spotlight for England, orchestrating a memorable chase with his 49-ball 52, securing their triumph over Pakistan in Melbourne.

“I’m working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket,” Stokes said in a statement.

“Opting out of the IPL and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future,” he added.

Meanwhile, Stokes confirmed that he would play the upcoming County Championships as he prepares for the Test summer in England.

“The recent Test tour of India highlighted how far behind I was from a bowling point of view after my knee surgery and nine months without bowling. I’m looking forward to playing for Durham in the County Championship before the start of our Test summer,” he added.

It remains to be seen whether Stokes will remain active in ODIs and T20Is with the next World Cup a significant time away. Yet, Stokes made it clear in his statement on Tuesday that he intends to compete in all three formats for England.