England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler has stated that Joe Root and Ben Stokes are not guaranteed a slot back in the team for the upcoming Champions Trophy. However, he hopes that they are looking forward to playing white-ball cricket for the country. Notably, both Root and Stokes haven't played for England in ODIs since the World Cup 2023 in India where they finished at seventh place with only three wins in nine matches.
Stokes had come back from retirement to play the World Cup and recently cleared that he would be eager to play the format in the ICC event if the head coach Brendon McCullum asks him. Interestingly, even Root hasn't played ODIs and both of them weren't picked or probably rested from the recently concluded West Indies tour with a lot of Test cricket being played.
With exactly three months to go for the Champions Trophy, Buttler isn't entirely sure whether they will return as the other players have also put their hands up in the star duo's absence. "It's conversations for the next few weeks with the guys in charge. The guys here have played really well. Some of the young players have done themselves no harm at all. There are people who aren't here who will have aspirations to be in the white-ball side as well. It's really exciting," the England skipper said.
More than Stokes, it would be hugely surprising if Root misses out as he is arguably the greatest ODI player for England having amassed 6522 in 171 matches at an average of 47.6 with 39 fifties and 16 centuries to his name. "I can't speak for them individually but I hope they have white-ball aspirations. They're two great players.
"Naturally the teams will become closer in terms of personnel now the overall messaging will be coming from one man who is in charge of England cricket now. The guys who play all three formats, they won't feel it's red or white as much anymore," Buttler added.
England are scheduled to play three ODIs against India away from home in January 2025 which is their only assignment in the format before the Champions Trophy. The majority of the squad picked for this series is most likely to play the ICC event as well.
