England white-ball coach Matthew Mott has confirmed that Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will be kept in the T20 World Cup team for next year’s ICC event. Due to injury and workload management, both players will miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
Following the World Cup, Stokes underwent knee surgery and is currently rehabilitating ahead of the Test series against India. Jofra Archer, on the other hand, has been hindered by a string of ailments that have forced him to miss the Ashes in 2023 as well as the World Cup this year.
Speaking on BBC, Matthew Mott spoke about both men and their chances of making the T20 World Cup squad. The England white-ball coach lauded Ben Stokes as a rare talent, stating that having a seam-bowling all-rounder like him in the top six makes things a lot easier.
“Every team in the world wants someone like that [Stokes] and they’re rare, A lot of the times you have to give up something. If you win, everyone says ‘oh, they got it right’. If you lose, it’s ‘they were a bowler short or a spinner short,” Matthew Mott said.
Despite not playing in ODIs, Ben Stokes is anticipated to be available for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The all-rounder was instrumental in bringing the England squad to victory in the last edition of the ICC T20 competition in Australia, playing a match-winning knock in the final against Pakistan.
Jofra Archer On The Park Is Massive, Everyone Would Agree With That – Matthew Mott
Matthew Mott praised Jofra Archer as a ‘great box-office’ pacer, emphasizing his ability to bowl at any point of the innings. The England head coach stated that the squad is constantly discussing Archer’s inclusion and that the medical staff is working on a plan.
“When you’ve got a seam bowler in your top six, it makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So [choosing him at the T20 World Cup] is a given. In terms of Jofra, you’ve just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that,” Matthew Mott added.
Due to a series of injuries, Jofra Archer missed the Ashes in 2023 as well as this year’s World Cup. Archer’s long-standing elbow injury flared up again during his time with the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Indian Premier League. The fast bowler opted out of the IPL Auction 2024 after being released by the Mumbai Indians and is now recovering.
