Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'He was keen to play': Eoin Morgan reveals why Ben Stokes was not rested from ODI series against India
On being asked about the reasons behind not resting Stokes, England captain Eoin Morgan said that he wished to play in the series, hence it was not considered.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have diligently followed the rotation policy throughout the ongoing tour in India, despite criticism from noted members of the cricket fraternity. Several key players including Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Jos Buttler were all rested in between during the Test series against India.
England allrounder Ben Stokes, who played all the four Tests, and then played in all the five T20Is, though, was not rested for the upcoming three-match ODI series against India.
Also read: India predicted XI for 1st ODI: Will Suryakumar pip Iyer at No. 4 for India?
On being asked about the reasons behind not resting Stokes, England captain Eoin Morgan said that he wished to play in the series, hence it was not considered.
"Obviously, we have looked at various periods of rest for Ben. This isn't one of them, it would be when we get home potentially during this summer. It is dependent on circumstances regarding bio-secure bubbles and how often he sees his family," Morgan said in a virtual press conference ahead of the first ODI, according to news agency ANI.
"Given that we play three games in five days, if we rested Ben, it would have literally Ben was staying in his room in Pune or Mumbai, sitting around as IPL is near. Ben was very keen to play so it was not considered," he added.
England Test captain Joe Root has also been rested from the ODI series which begins on Tuesday.
Morgan said that the visitors will miss Root because of what he can do with the bat.
"For a guy who scores run a ball and averages 50, he is an exceptional player and he has been that for a long time. We will miss him but it is about someone getting slotted at number three," he said.
India won the Test series against England 3-1, and then followed it up with a 3-2 series win in the T20Is. For Morgan's side, the upcoming ODI series is the only chance to finish the tour on a high note.
