|| CF DESK ||

England’s Ben Stokes has officially declared today that he will not be vying for selection in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and USA.

Instead, his priority lies in attaining complete fitness to bowl, not only for the upcoming summer of Test cricket but also for all future cricketing actions.

As the England Test captain, Stokes aims to ensure his readiness for the demanding challenges ahead, including the two three-match Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka respectively.

“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. 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,” said Stokes.

“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. I wish Jos, Motty and all the team the best of luck in defending our title.”

England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup defence starts on 4 June against Scotland at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. They will then play group matches against Australia, Oman, and Namibia in Barbados and Antigua before qualification for the Super 8s and knockouts.