England captain Jos Buttler gave his opinion on whether all-rounder Ben Stokes will feature in the upcoming World Cup match against South Africa. Stokes reversed his retirement to take another crack at the 50-over format, hoping to contribute to England’s title defense. But since arriving in India, Stokes has yet to play one match as he suffered a minor problem in his hip during a practice session before their campaign opener against New Zealand. Stokes, who is eager to return to the field, has declared himself available for Thursday’s match against the Proteas.
After the Three Lions suffered a shock defeat to Afghanistan in their previous match, Buttler is said to be evaluating every option available to him.
“Yes, I think I have so many options within the team selection. It’s always difficult and you look for the right balance, it’s always location dependent too, so it was a good chance to see the wicket here today and put something together come.” Also more information. But of course Ben trained very well last night. It’s great to see him again. He obviously brings a lot to the field and with his presence and leadership qualities he is also someone you can always rely on. So, he adds a lot of value,” Buttler said at the pre-match press conference.
Buttler also spoke about their opponents, South Africa, who are playing a good brand of cricket in this World Cup. South Africa declared themselves as a force to be reckoned with after their 134-run win over Australia.
Buttler spoke about the threat the Proteas carry, saying: “Yes, I think they have played some really good cricket. I think the top six is obviously a very strong top six and I think the pace with the ball is a of their strengths. I think both teams like that too. We have speed in both attacks and both teams like speed on the ball, so it should be a very fascinating match. They are a very good team. You are always expect a tough challenge when you play against South Africa and it will be a brilliant match.”
South Africa will take on England at Ekana Sports City, Lucknow on Friday.
England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes .
South African squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
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