England and star all-rounder Ben Stokes is likely to miss the ICC T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in UAE as per initial reports. The cricketer was set to take part in the 2021 Indian Premier League, representing Rajasthan Royals, but he pulled out earlier. Back in July, Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket to take care of his mental well-being. Stokes is also not a part of the ongoing five-match Test series against India. It was also learned that Stokes’ break was also regarding his recovery from his injury in his left index finger which didn’t fully recover. The T20 World Cup is set to start a few days after the conclusion of the 2021 IPL and Stokes’ participation in the event is still unclear.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is set to pick the squad for the World Cup next Friday and it remains to be seen if Stokes finds a place in the squad. Going by the ICC rules, a team can pick a squad of 15 and three reserve players in case of emergency. Earlier when Stokes opted for the break from cricket, Ashley Giles, the Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, lauded him for showing a lot of courage and opening up on his mental issues.“Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this,” Giles was quoted as saying. “Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments over the last 16 months has had a major impact on everyone’s wellbeing. Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future,” Giles had said.
