NEW DELHI: The England Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Tuesday that all-rounder Ben Stokes has chosen not to be selected for this year's Twenty20 World Cup in order to concentrate on getting fitter for the summer's Test matches.
The reigning T20 World Cup champions are England, who won their second championship in Australia in 2022.
In addition, the ECB stated that Stokes' main goal "is to get fully fit to bowl" in the forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
Stokes had surgery in November to address a knee problem that was impeding his ability to bowl consistently.
"I'm working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfill a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket," Stokes, England's Test captain, said in a statement.
"Opting out of the IPL and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future."
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be held in the West Indies and the United States in June.
(With Reuters inputs)
