Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has hit out at England captain Ben Stokes for his decision to come out of one-day retirement ahead of the World Cup in India.
Stokes retired from white ball cricket last season, citing a congested calendar and a desire to focus on the longer format of the game.
But barely six weeks before the first ball is bowled, Stokes announced he would make himself available for selection.
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Speaking on SEN Tasmania, Paine said he found Stokes’ decision “interesting”.
“It was a bit of, ‘Me, me, me’, there isn’t it?,” he said.
“It was, ‘I’ll pick and I’ll choose where I want to play and when I want to play’, and, ‘I’ll play in the big tournaments’.”
Stokes is likely to feature as a specialist bat, as a chronic knee injury saw him limit his bowling workload in the most recent Ashes series.
He has been picked in England’s squad over Harry Brook, who has been a consistent performer over the past year.
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“The guys who have played for 12 months: ‘Sorry, thanks. But can you go and sit on the bench because I want to play now?’
“I don’t know, he’s not bowling.
“Harry Brook or Ben Stokes? As a bat. It would be very close, very, very close.”
Stokes starred for England in the 2019 World Cup final, earning player of the match honours after taking 14 off the final over – including a six after a throw at the stumps ricocheted off his outstretched bat and ran to the boundary.
Stokes hasn’t played an ODI since last July against South Africa. His first since then will come in a four-match series against New Zealand starting on September 8.
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
