Ben Stokes’ ODI return is a gamble worth taking despite Ashes looming

Ben Stokes unleashes a delivery during an England training session
Ben Stokes says he will ‘definitely’ return to England’s white-ball team if asked by Brendon McCullum - Getty Images/Philip Brown

Even as England won the third one-day international in Durham, the side were forced into an unpalatable choice: between picking a fourth seamer and packing their batting. Stand-in captain Harry Brook admitted that when England were bowling, he would have liked to be able to call upon more than three specialist seamers. To be able to do so, England would have had to compromise their batting depth.

The player that England needed was in Durham. He was not available for selection – but Ben Stokes soon will be. Should Brendon McCullum ask him to make his white-ball return in the new year, Stokes said, “it’s definitely going to be a yes”.

There are very legitimate questions about whether, ahead of the Champions Trophy in February, McCullum should make such a call. Stokes is 33 and recovering from the hamstring tear that caused him to miss the Test series against Sri Lanka. If he bowls at all, his workload will be managed carefully on next month’s Test tour of Pakistan.

Stokes has already made match-winning contributions in the finals of two of the three global tournaments that England have won in their history, but many in English cricket will believe all of Stokes’s energies should be devoted to the 2025-26 Ashes. It is a compelling argument, yet McCullum, and England, might find that it is trumped by the allure of trying to win the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. After consecutive grim world events, the tournament looms as a prime opportunity for England to re-emerge as a major white-ball force.

From Pat Cummins to Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson to Kagiso Rabada, every other competing nation will have their biggest stars at the Champions Trophy; England would be engaging in self-sabotage if they did not do the same. For all the concerns about the sport’s saturated fixture list, the schedule could hardly be more conducive to Stokes making his 50-over return. In the six months from Dec 17 to June 20, England will play only a solitary Test, a four-day affair against Zimbabwe in May. Should England reach the Champions Trophy final, they would play only five matches. Along with their three games in India before the tournament, that amounts to only eight ODIs.

With Stokes at full fitness, England would have the adaptability in their attack that all teams crave. Alongside three other quick bowlers, Stokes would allow England to bowl up to 40 overs of seam in an innings. With Adil Rashid alongside two of Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell, England could also bowl plentiful spin. This array of options would allow them to deploy their bowlers more flexibly.

Without, say, the need to get through as much part-time spin in the middle overs, England would have more scope to use Jofra Archer to target particular batsmen who are vulnerable against high pace. Stokes the white-ball bowler can also embrace different roles: swinging the new ball, as he did in the 2022 T20 World Cup win, or operating as an enforcer in the middle overs.

Jofra Archer holds a white ball and smiles
With Stokes in the side, England would have more scope to use Jofra Archer to target particular batsmen - Getty Images/Stu Forster

Yet, however valuable his bowling, Stokes is a batting all-rounder. Indeed, he was recalled as a specialist batsman to the ODI side last year. Over nine games, he averaged 59.9 with a strike rate of 99 at No 4, including hitting 182 – England’s highest-ever ODI innings – against New Zealand.

All these innings were at No 4: the same position from which Brook made his maiden ODI century in Chester-le-Street. Given Brook’s development, Stokes would now be more likely to slot in at No 5 – though he could be promoted on occasion, for instance to target left-arm spin. Stokes would also ensure that England had a left-hander in the middle order, providing balance to the batting, just as he would the bowling.

Even if Stokes returns for the Champions Trophy, England need to develop seam-bowling all-rounders ahead of the 2027 World Cup. The tournament will be played in southern Africa in early season: conditions in which teams will regularly want to be able to field 40 overs of seam.

For all Brydon Carse’s batting development, No 7 would still appear to be a place too high in the order. Jamie Overton, who was picked as a specialist batsman in the T20 series against Australia, would be an intriguing option when fully fit. Sam Curran will need to be trusted to bat in the top seven if he is to become an ODI regular. If Rashid retires in the coming years, England might even consider picking four specialist seamers in the 2027 World Cup, and relying on Jacks and Bethell for spin.

Such are England’s looming questions. Yet, after a harrowing two years in white-ball cricket, they should view the Champions Trophy as a significant prize, not merely a staging post in their development. Whatever the challenges to come, one suspects that McCullum will want Stokes in his team for his first global tournament as England’s white-ball coach.

My Champions Trophy team with Stokes

Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

This side would have a powerful middle order, each capable of playing at different tempos, eight bowling options – if Root’s off-spin is included – and a left-hander opening, at No 5 and No 7. With Stokes fit to bowl, the side could adapt to a range of different conditions.