Eoin Morgan Recommends Joe Root and Ben Stokes for ICC Champions Trophy
World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has advised that England should consider including Joe Root and Ben Stokes in their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year. Root and Stokes last played One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2023 during the ICC Cricket World Cup in India. Both players will not participate in the upcoming three-match series against the West Indies later this month.
Root, the longest format captain, missed the recent ODI series against Australia due to injury, which England lost 3-2. Meanwhile, Stokes was rested to give him a break between Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Morgan, speaking at the launch of the International Masters League, emphasized the importance of having experienced players like Root and Stokes in major tournaments.
“I’m happy to back the younger players. In the recent series against Australia, they found a template. Australia, you have to commend how good they are at the moment in all formats of the game. But when you put them up against a side that, at stages, didn’t have [Jofra] Archer, no Wood, Stokes and Root as well, no Buttler, that’s half your England team,” Morgan said.
He added, “Ben Stokes has already said that he hasn’t had the call yet from Baz as to whether he will play or not. If that call comes, obviously he would love to play. In my eyes, they’ve got to come into a major world tournament and look to win it, and that means trying to find the best team – and for me, Stokes and Root are in that best team.”
The English team is scheduled to play just six ODIs before the upcoming marquee event, three in the West Indies and three in India.
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Eoin Morgan -: Eoin Morgan is a famous cricketer from England who used to be the captain of the England cricket team. He led the team to win the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.
Joe Root -: Joe Root is a well-known cricketer from England. He is known for being a very good batsman and has played for the England team in many important matches.
Ben Stokes -: Ben Stokes is a popular cricketer from England. He is famous for his all-rounder skills, meaning he is good at both batting and bowling.
ICC Champions Trophy -: The ICC Champions Trophy is a big cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Teams from different countries compete to win the trophy.
Pakistan -: Pakistan is a country in South Asia. It is known for its love of cricket and has hosted many international cricket matches.
ODIs -: ODIs stand for One Day Internationals, which are cricket matches that last for one day. Each team gets to bat and bowl for a limited number of overs, usually 50.
West Indies -: West Indies is a group of Caribbean islands that have a cricket team representing them. They are known for their strong cricketing history.