Former England captain Eoin Morgan advocates for Root and Stokes in Champions Trophy squad

With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 approaching, Eoin Morgan has expressed his belief that England’s cricketing stalwarts, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, should be included in the squad. The tournament, set to be hosted in Pakistan in early 2025, will see top teams like India, Australia, and England vying for the prestigious title.

Morgan, speaking at the launch of the International Masters League in Mumbai, stated that Root and Stokes, who last featured in ODIs during the 2023 World Cup in India, should be central to England’s plans for the upcoming tournament. England, however, faced a disappointing early exit in the 2023 edition, which has led to discussions about the composition of their squad for future tournaments.

Stokes and Root crucial for success, says Morgan

Morgan highlighted Ben Stokes’ openness to returning to ODI cricket, provided he receives the call from England’s head coach Brendon McCullum. “Ben Stokes has already said that he hasn’t had the call yet from Baz as to whether he will play or not. If that call comes, obviously he would love to play,” Morgan remarked.

He further emphasized the importance of selecting the best possible team to win major tournaments, including both Root and Stokes. “In my eyes, they’ve got to come into a major world tournament and look to win it, and that means trying to find the best team—and for me, Stokes and Root are in that best team,” Morgan added.

Backing young players but acknowledging experience

Despite endorsing the return of experienced players, Morgan also commended the efforts of younger players who recently featured in the series against Australia, where England suffered a 2-3 loss. “At the moment, I’m happy to back the younger players. In the recent series against Australiaz, they found a template. Australia, you have to commend how good they are at the moment in all formats of the game,” Morgan said.

Both Root and Stokes have been given breaks from recent fixtures, with Root resting between Test series and Stokes unavailable for the series against Australia. However, their experience, leadership, and match-winning capabilities could make them vital assets as England gears up for another major ODI tournament.

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