"We came here as part of a team and we will leave here as one" - Ben Stokes on possibly leaving home early for knee surgery
England all-rounder Ben Stokes stated he never considered the possibility of returning home early for his impending knee surgery despite being eliminated from semi-final contention after losing to Australia.
Before the Australia clash, Stokes confirmed his need to have an operation later this month to resolve his left knee issue that has him playing as a specialist batter since.
The rehabilitation post-surgery is expected to take around a month and a half. Thus, the star all-rounder will have very little turnaround time for the Indian tour in January.
Speaking to reporters before their final game of the 2023 World Cup against Pakistan, Ben Stokes confirmed his never considering returning home once the side was eliminated.
"Just because things haven't gone as we'd wanted, there were never any thoughts about leaving early, taking the easy way out. We came here as part of a team and we will leave here as one," Stokes said.
England skipper Jos Buttler echoed Stokes' sentiments by saying there was never any conversation about the all-rounder leaving early for his surgery.
"It's not his style at all: he's here to play in the World Cup. He wants to be here and it's important for us to try and qualify for that Champions Trophy. He wants to make sure we try and achieve that," Buttler said.
Ben Stokes played a sensational knock of 108 against the Netherlands to propel England to a 160-run victory. It helped the defending champions move from the bottom of the points table to seventh, strengthening their chances of finishing in the top eight to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"I'm sure there will be a conversation" - Ben Stokes on the possibility of the Pakistan clash being his final ODI
Ben Stokes remained non-commital about his ODI future following the ongoing World Cup. The talismanic all-rounder is already ruled out for next month's West Indies tour, and England's next ODI assignment is not until September 2024.
Stokes reversed his retirement from the 50-over format to partake in the World Cup to help England defend their title.
He stated there would be a discussion with England's managing director, Rob Key, who will be in Kolkata ahead of the Pakistan game.
"I'm sure there will be a conversation[with him]. But I don't know when that will be. I have used the time between games to give myself a better opportunity [of recovering well] after the surgery," Stokes said.
Ben Stokes also missed the side's opening three games of the tournament with a hip injury. He asserted his commitment to being fully fit from a physical and cricketing point of view.
"All the work in the gym doesn't compare to what you go through out there [on the pitch]. I'm looking forward to getting it sorted and not having to worry like I have these past 18 months. From a physical point of view, I'm better off than when I first got out here. But physical fitness and cricket fitness are two different things," he concluded.
England have won only two of their eight games, including losses to lower-ranked teams like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
They will finish their dismal 2023 World Cup campaign with a clash against Pakistan at Kolkata on Saturday, November 11.