Champions Trophy 2025: Ben Stokes’ absence in ODIs ‘big loss’ for England, says former skipper
Cricket, Sports: Despite posting 351, England couldn't defend their total as Alex Carey’s resilience, along with knocks from Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell, helped Australia win
England's campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy got off to a disappointing start with a five-wicket loss to Australia, and former England captain Nasser Hussain believes the absence of all-rounder Ben Stokes is significantly impacting the team’s balance.
Despite posting a formidable 351 runs, England couldn't defend their total as Alex Carey’s resilience, along with explosive knocks from Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell, guided Australia to victory in Lahore on Saturday.
Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by Wisden, Hussain pointed out that Australia entered the game with low expectations due to the absence of key players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and the recently retired Marcus Stoinis. Additionally, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was sidelined with an injury.
"When Ben Duckett was smashing it and got 165, and England were heading towards 350-plus, you thought maybe they had found a formula. Maybe these conditions would suit England," Hussain said.
'England lack a proper all-rounder'
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However, he highlighted that England’s lack of a proper all-rounder left them struggling to find the right team balance. To strengthen their batting, they relied on part-time options, with Liam Livingstone and Joe Root combining for 1/73 in 11 overs.
"They cannot decide whether to play an extra batter, which they did today, leaving their bowling short, or include a bowling all-rounder like Gus Atkinson or Jamie Overton at the cost of batting depth," Hussain explained.
He emphasised how Stokes’ presence could have provided much-needed stability. "Ben Stokes makes the balance between batting and bowling much more comfortable, and his absence is a big loss," he added.
Stokes has not played any List-A cricket or ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, where he made a temporary return from retirement. In 2024, his only white-ball appearances came in The Hundred for Northern Superchargers. He has also been absent from England’s T20I squad since his match-winning 50 in the T20 World Cup 2022 final.