Ben Stokes is very much his own man, makes his own decisions: Jos Buttler

England’s star all-rounder, Ben Stokes, has announced his decision to return from retirement to join the squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, confirmed that it was entirely Stokes’ call to make a comeback for the marquee tournament, set to take place in India this October and November.

Stokes, renowned for his all-round prowess, had initially retired from ODI cricket in July 2022 to focus on Test cricket after being appointed the captain of the Test side. However, the appeal of the World Cup seems to have enticed him back onto the ODI stage. Speaking ahead of the limited-overs series against New Zealand, Buttler shed light on the decision-making process.

“To be honest, it was Ben’s call. You all know Ben pretty well by now – I don’t think anyone talking to him would persuade him. We had some conversations quite a while ago about it and just left it to him to come to me, basically, if he wanted to come back. We’re delighted that he feels ready to come back,” said Buttler, as quoted by India Today.

Buttler, a close friend and long-time teammate of Stokes, highlighted the freedom with which Stokes approaches such decisions.

“Ben is very much his own man, he makes his own decisions. I’ve played with him for a very long time, I’m good friends with him. Me badgering him and saying ‘Come back, come back’ is not really the way things work with Ben. He very much makes up his own mind and decides,” Buttler added.

The return of Stokes has strengthened England’s ODI setup, and Buttler expressed his excitement regarding Stokes’ decision. Ben Stokes’ remarkable performance in the 2019 World Cup final, where he was named the Player of the Match, contributed immensely to England’s historic victory. His unbeaten 84 runs were crucial in securing England’s first-ever Cricket World Cup triumph in a thrilling Super Over finish against New Zealand.