Ben Stokes is set to bat at number four for England at the upcoming T20 World Cup, with captain Jos Buttler stating they want to give him "as much opportunity to impact the game as possible".
Before England's final set of warm-up games ahead of the World Cup, Stokes' last T20I appearance came back in March 2021 and his record in the format is far from spectacular. In 34 internationals, Stokes has scored 442 runs at an average of 20.09 and a strike rate of 136.84.
He has also only ever batted in the top four three times for England, but Buttler and coach Matthew Mott believe they can "get the best out of him" by moving Stokes to four. Speaking before the first warm-up game against Australia, Buttler said: "Ben Stokes is someone we want to try to give as much opportunity to impact the game as possible.
"Try to get him up the order as high as we can. Give him as much responsibility as possible and allow him to play his way to get the best out of him.
"Ben is a superstar and a guy you want in the team. There is a lot of excitement to have him back."
Mott, meanwhile, believes England simply need to give Stokes a "clear role" in the side, with the all-rounder having spent most of his T20I career down the order as a finisher.
"One of the things that's been said for a while is that he hasn't had a clear role," he explained. "And Jos in particular is clear that he's a top-four player.
"Those conditions in Australia will suit the way he plays. You always have a bit of flexibility with the batting but he will be expected to be higher in the innings."
Stokes retired from ODIs in July due to the "unsustainable" schedule, stating: "I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format."
