3 players who might miss out on England's ODI World Cup squad when Ben Stokes returns
It has been an exciting time for England cricket in the lead-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, with Ben Stokes making a U-turn on his ODI retirement to confirm his availability for the event.
Stokes has been subsequently included in England's ODI squad for the series against New Zealand and is almost guaranteed to be in their World Cup squad. Chief Selector Luke Wright looks to be chuffed by this turn of events as the Test captain and hero of the 2019 World Cup Final returns to the side to help them defend their crown.
Stokes' return to the team, while beneficial to England's chances, does hurt the prospects of some other players making the WC squad. Let's look at three such players:
#3 James Vince
James Vince is one of the most prolific run-scorers in the England domestic circuit, but try as he might, he hasn't been able to cement his place in the national side in any format. He was a part of the 2019 Cricket World Cup squad and his ability to bat at multiple positions across the top four has always kept him in the running.
Vince last batted at No. 4 for England in the tour of Bangladesh but has been left out of the ODI squad against New Zealand. With Ben Stokes joining the list of middle-order batters and their top order already well set, there is a good chance that Vince misses out on the World Cup squad. However, he should be the first player on the standby list to replace any batter in case of an injury.
#2 Will Jacks
Will Jacks is another player who has been knocking on the doors of the national side for a while now and is looking to make himself a regular in the side. He made his ODI debut in England's tour of Bangladesh in March this year. The hard-hitting batter could be a great middle-order batting option, with his off-spin making him a very useful pick in subcontinental conditions.
However, Jacks couldn't make that much of an impact in the two games he played, and with Ben Stokes returning and vying for those spots in the middle-order, it's unlikely that Jacks makes the England World Cup squad.
#1 Harry Brook
Ben Stokes' return has directly led to Harry Brook getting dropped from the ODI side, and you'd be right to think Brook may have to wait four more years to be part of England's ODI World Cup squad.
Despite being a hot prospect in T20 cricket and an absolute star in Test matches, Brook made his ODI debut early this year in England's three-match tour of South Africa, aggregating 86 runs across those three games. He showed his capability as a middle-order batter in the second ODI, scoring a 75-ball 80. However, he couldn't have a similar impact on the other two matches.
Brook has only played three ODIs and his struggles in the IPL don't inspire confidence in his ability to thrive in Indian conditions. In a rather unlucky manner, Brook may have to pay the price for Ben Stokes' return.
England's ODI squad for the NZ series: Jos Buttler (C/WK), Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson (debut), Moeen Ali, David Willey, Sam Curran, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes, and Liam Livingstone