England need Superman Ben Stokes to defend World Cup title in India

In England, the two most discussed topics are always football and the weather.

The English Premier League season also got underway last weekend, but the drama over Ben Stoke, the country's cricket superstar, has even put the world's most popular football league in the shade.

Every sports fan in England now is asking just one question: Will Stokes come out of ODI retirement and be part of the England squad which is eager to defend the World Cup they won four years ago?

Stokes, who had retired from ODIs last July, stated that playing all three formats was unsustainable for him and that he was blocking opportunities for other players.

The flamboyant all-rounder started leading England in Test cricket last year and since then his team has revolutionised the five-day game with their fearless and attacking brand of cricket.

His style of captaincy immediately brought results after Joe Root stepped down last summer and England won 13 of 18 Test matches, losing four and drawing just one.

Stokes' leadership was hailed by one and all even though England could not manage to win the Ashes back with the recent series against Australia ending in a 2-2 draw.

The aggressive left-hander also played an important knock when England beat Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup final last year under Jos Buttler’s captaincy.

But no English fan can forget the way Stokes helped England win their first and only 50 overs World Cup in 2019, scoring 465 runs at an average of 66 with a strike rate of 93.

He was also handy with the ball, picking up seven wickets.

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