Stokes out of England’s Champions Trophy squad

LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of next year´s Champions Trophy one-day international tournament in Pakistan and the preceding white-ball tour of India, team management announced Sunday.

The 33-year-old star all-rounder was not considered after damaging a hamstring during England´s defeat by New Zealand in the third Test at Hamilton earlier this month. “Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes was not considered for selection as he continues to be assessed following a left hamstring injury sustained,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

Stokes did not bat in the second innings of that match as England slumped to a 423-run defeat -- a result that meant his side still won a three-match series 2-1. With England facing a five-match Test series at home to India starting in June before their pinnacle 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia, team management have decided against risking inspirational red-ball skipper Stokes.

Key batsman Joe Root, who preceded Stokes as Test captain, returns to the ODI side for the first time since the 2023 World Cup in India. Fast bowler Mark Wood, who missed the recent Test tours of both Pakistan and New Zealand, with a bone-stress injury to his right elbow, is in both squads. The India series and Champions Trophy will mark England´s first limited-overs tour and tournament under coach Brendon McCullum, previously just in charge of the Test side.

Jos Buttler, who missed the recent ODI series against the West Indies with a calf injury, remains captain of the two white-ball teams despite England surrendering both their 50-over and T20 world titles since November 2023.

But it is possible the dashing batsman, replaced as skipper in the Caribbean by all-rounder Liam Livingstone, may not keep wicket, as he has for much of his limited-overs career. Both the ODI squad for the India tour and the Champions Trophy, as well as the squad for five T20s in India in January, feature two other wicketkeepers in Test gloveman Jamie Smith, who missed the New Zealand series to attend the birth of his first child, and Phil Salt. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed joins the T20 squad, while Root is selected only for the ODIs.

The tour party leaves for India on January 17, with the first match of a five-game series against T20 world champions India in Kolkata on January 22. India and England will then play a three-match ODI series, in preparation for the Champions Trophy, starting in Nagpur on February 6.

Match dates for the Champions Trophy, which also features Pakistan as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, have yet to be announced, with the tournament due to run from February 19 to March 9.

England ODI squad for India tour and 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan: Jos Buttler (capt/wkt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wkt), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt (wkt), Mark Wood.