Ahmedabad
England’s cricket captain, Jos Buttler, dismissed the notion that the team is overly dependent on Ben Stokes and argued that their nine-wicket loss to New Zealand in the World Cup opener was not solely due to Stokes’ absence.
While Ben Stokes played a significant role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup victory and was instrumental in their T20 World Cup victory last year, he is currently playing as a batter in the 50-overs format and did not participate in the match against New Zealand due to a minor hip injury.
Buttler emphasized that while Stokes is a top player, England has a talented squad with many players who can contribute significantly. He pointed out that in the match against New Zealand, multiple players reached double figures but failed to convert their starts into substantial contributions.
Despite their struggles, England managed to post a total of 282-9 on a decent batting track, which Buttler believes demonstrates the team’s potential and the level at which they can perform.
Looking ahead, England will aim for a decisive victory in their next match against Bangladesh in Dharamsala to improve their net run-rate, which could be a crucial factor later in the tournament. Buttler and the team are focused on delivering a strong performance to get their World Cup campaign back on track.
