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ODI world cup 2023 Cricket

'Ab England ko koi nahi haraa sakta' - Fans react as head coach Matthew Mott drops key update on Ben Stokes' availability for 2023 ODI World Cup

Stokes had to sit out of England’s first three matches due to a hip injury. However, the team is hopeful that he will be back in the upcoming match against South Africa.

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Mathew K
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Ben Stokes (Source: Twitter)

Ben Stokes (Source: Twitter)

Defending champions England have not had the best start to the ongoing ODI World Cup, losing two of their three matches, including one against underdogs Afghanistan. England suffered a shock 69-run defeat in their last match in Delhi on Sunday, which certainly dented their confidence. Before things get out of hand, Jos Buttler and Co. need to step up and they got some good news ahead of the crucial matches.

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Head coach Matthew Mott on Wednesday dropped a major update on the availability of their premier all-rounder Ben Stokes. The fact that the 32-year-old did not play a single match in this World Cup also contributed to England's failure. Meanwhile, Mott is hoping Stokes will make a full recovery for their encounter against South Africa. The two are scheduled to clash on October 21 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.  

Mott keeps "fingers crossed" for Stokes' return 

The England coach said the medical team is confident that Stokes will be back in the XI for the match against South Africa. Mott also praised the left-hander saying, he is like the spiritual leader of the team. 

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“We've obviously been relatively conservative with him, but the medical staff were always confident that South Africa was a game we could target. I haven't had a report on him in the last 24 hours, but before that, he was on target,” Mott said.

"So fingers crossed, he can tick off all the things that need to be ticked off and he comes back into that side. He's like the spiritual leader of the group in many ways, and he certainly spoke really well after the game the other day, and spoke about that need to really assert ourselves," he added. 

Stokes, who was a key factor in England’s title win in the 2019 edition, had initially retired from ODIs. However, he reversed his decision to participate in the World Cup. He announced his return to the 50-over format with a blazing 182 against New Zealand in September. Due to a hip injury, Stokes had to sit out of England’s first three matches. 

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Here's how fans reacted: 

England featured Ben Stokes ODI World Cup 2023