"Ben is a superstar and a guy you want in the team" - Jos Buttler excited to welcome Stokes back in T20I side
England white-ball captain Jos Buttler is excited to welcome Ben Stokes back into the T20I side, claiming the all-rounder is a "superstar".
Stokes, who missed the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE due to a mental health break, will return for the upcoming edition Down Under.
The 31-year-old will ramp up his preparations for the tournament with a three-match T20I series against Australia, starting on Sunday, October 9, in Perth.
Ahead of the series opener, Buttler stated that Stokes' presence will bolster the English team. The skipper also confirmed that the star all-rounder would bat relatively higher against Australia. Buttler was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo:
"Ben Stokes is someone we want to try to give as much opportunity to impact the game as possible. Try to get him up the order as high as we can. Give him as much responsibility as possible and allow him to play his way to get the best out of him. Ben is a superstar and a guy you want in the team. There is a lot of excitement to have him back."
Also addressing Liam Livingstone's availability, Buttler said:
"He is still a little way off at the minute so he's building back. Hopefully he'll get back to full fitness before the start of the World Cup."
The series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth will be Stokes' first T20I appearance since March 2021. After playing an instrumental role in England's 2019 ODI World Cup victory, the Durham all-rounder will be keen to spearhead the 2010 T20 champions to another title triumph.
"Don't think there's any pressure on us" - Jos Buttler ahead of the T20 World Cup
Buttler, who will return to action on Sunday after missing the T20I series in Pakistan due to a calf injury, asserted that they are carrying no pressure ahead of the T20 World Cup. He added:
"Don't think there's any pressure on us. The team has changed with a new coach and captain. It's very early in our era as a group albeit we have fantastic players in our team and some real match-winners and world class players. I think we're a dangerous team but we don't have big expectations on us as a group."
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England, led by Eoin Morgan, were one of the most dominant sides in the 2021 T20 World Cup, losing only one of their group-stage games. They, however, lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals.