Stokes quit the 50-over game last summer, insisting that he was not able to commit to all formats, and reiterated that stance as recently as late June, saying: "I remain retired from the ODIs and will not reverse it"
Ben Stokes will come out of ODI retirement to help England defend their World Cup crown this autumn.
England confirmed the allrounder's decision on Wednesday (August 16), in what amounts to a remarkable turnaround in mindset by the Test skipper.
Stokes quit the 50-over game last summer, insisting he was not able to commit to all formats, and reiterated that stance as recently as late June, saying: "I remain retired from the ODIs and will not reverse it."
However, after the call came from England white-ball coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler, Stokes - the hero of the 2019 final against New Zealand - changed his mind.
He will now be part of the 15-man squad which makes the trip to India in October, having been included in the squad for the four ODI fixtures against New Zealand in September.
Ben Stokes has come out of retirement for the World Cup [Getty Images]
Stokes quit ODIs last summer but is back for the trip to India [Getty Images]
Stokes' inclusion throws up several questions. Firstly, to do with selection. He was unable to bowl in any of England's final three Ashes Tests, and has managed a knee problem for the past two years.
He is expected to feature in the World Cup as a specialist batsman, probably at No.4, meaning one of the top-order batsmen who had been set to feature prominently during the tournament may now not even make the initial squad. Those in danger of dropping out include Dawid Malan and Jason Roy.
Secondly, it begs the question when Stokes will have treatment and possibly surgery on his troublesome knee. He hinted at the end of the Ashes campaign that he would discuss the relevance of an operation in order to prolong his red-ball career.
England ODI World Cup squad (and vs New Zealand)Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes
"I think that is a good time to have some serious conversations with medics around what is potentially something I could do to get a role in which I can bowl without having to worry about my knee. Those are conversations we will be able to have in that time off," he said in late July.
Any surgery that was on the cards will now have to be delayed, and for some time.
England Men's national selector Luke Wright said: "We have been able to name two extremely strong squads that underline the depth of talent we enjoy in white-ball cricket.
"The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again."
Stokes was the hero of England's World Cup final triumph in 2019 [Getty Images]
Stokes is due to lead England's Test team on a gruelling five-match tour of India from mid-January. He is reportedly ready to drop his Indian Premier League contract with Chennai Super Kings next spring to allow himself the necessary time to undergo recovery and rehab.
England's 2024 Test summer is due to begin on July 10, with the first of three matches against West Indies at Lord's.
Stokes has spent much of the nearly three weeks since resting and enjoying a holiday with his family. Last week, he shared a picture of himself and his son Layton at golf course on the Algarve.
He has not been involved in The Hundred for his slated team, Northern Superchargers, and if he is to play through October and November, it seems unlikely he will turn out for the Superchargers at all in 2023.
Stokes' decision follows that of Moeen Ali, who was convinced to pull himself out of Test retirement in June, when Jack Leach was ruled out of the Ashes.
Moeen returned to play four of the five Tests, despite suffering bad blistering on the index finger of his bowling hand, and was a key part of the victory at The Oval in the fifth game against Australia, which England won to level the series.
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