England's Test captain Ben Stokes pulled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup aiming to regain full fitness from his ongoing issue with knee. He underwent surgery for his knee last year and didn't bowl much since then. In fact, he bowled only once in five-match Test series against India and is eager to return to represent England across all formats for the home international summer across all formats. Former England cricketer Stuart Broad has defended Stokes' decision calling it a best choice for him.
"Whatever Ben decides to do for the well-being of himself is the right decision. Ben Stokes has made some incredible decisions in his career that have paid off for him. He wants to get back to (being) the all-rounder that he was and he feels like getting some workload through the knee in a controlled environment, without the help of a scale to pressurise the nature of a T20 World Cup, is the best choice," Broad told PTI.
Another player who is under injury scanner is Jofra Archer who hasn't played much in last two years. Broad expressed concerns over the pace bowler's fitness even as England management is hoping for him to get fit in time for the T20 World Cup. "Yeah, it's a concern. First of all, (he is) a friend of mine, a teammate of mine, an amazing talent for world cricket. He has got genuine pace, he moves the ball. He's a match winner," Broad said.
"We've not seen the best of Jofra Archer on the field now, for coming on, nearly four years. He's played bits and bobs, but he's had awful injury problems which is very difficult for him to cope with. I think there's positivity from him and the England camp that there's a chance we might see him in the T20 World Cup, which would be a great lift for England fans and cricket fans around the world," Broad who retired from Tests last year added.
Broad was also concerned for Archer with his injury coming back every time and hoped that the cricketer returns to his best on the field as soon as possible. "It's a concern that his injury keeps coming back, but he's got some really good people around him to help lift him up and drive him forward. Ultimately, he's signed a two-year contract with England cricket, so they must believe that he'll come back to his best as soon as possible," Broad said.
