Jos Buttler reveals the likelihood of Ben Stokes playing vs South Africa in ODI World Cup 2023
Ben Stokes (Source-Twitter)
Defending world champions England have a huge game on Saturday against the South Africans. Both the teams have enduring shocking losses in their respective previous games of the ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. Ben Stokes is the one player that both teams and the fans ahead of the game on Saturday.
The English had lost their last game to Afghanistan by 69 runs in New Delhi. This was their 2nd loss in three games after losing to New Zealand. South Africa had registered huge wins against Sri Lanka and Australia before losing to the Netherlands.
The game on Saturday will be played in Mumbai at the famous Wankhede Stadium. The ground is known to be a batting beauty and both teams will want to win the key clash. A loss for England will put them under more pressure for the rest of the tournament.
Jos Buttler breaks his silence on Ben Stokes’ participation
English test skipper Ben Stokes has not played in any of the three games during the ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. The 32-year-old had injured himself on his way to 182 during the ODI match versus New Zealand. Jos Buttler addressed the media and said “Yeah, I think I’ve got so many options within the squad selection it is always tough and you’re working out the right balance, always venue dependent as well so been a good chance to see the wicket here today and gather a bit more information as well. But obviously Ben trained really well last night”
The English skipper also said that he was happy to have his all-rounder back. Buttler said “It’s great to see him back. He obviously brings a lot on the field and with his presence and leadership skills as well as someone who is always good to turn to. So, he adds a lot of value.” South Africa began the ODI World Cup 2023 with a huge win over Sri Lanka after scoring over 400 runs. This was followed by a win against Australia by 134 runs in Lucknow before the shocking loss to the Netherlands.
Speaking about the opponents, Jos Buttler stated “Yeah, I think they’ve been they’ve been playing some really good cricket I think obviously the top six is a very strong top six and I think pace with the ball is one of their strengths.
The 33-year-old also hoped for the Mumbai wicket to play better. “It’s something I think both teams like as well. We have pace in both attacks and both teams like pace on the ball so as well it should be a really fascinating contest. They’re a really good team. You always expect tough challenge when you play against South Africa and it’s going to be a brilliant game.”
