No Guarantees for Stokes and Root in England’s Champions Trophy Squad

England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler has said there are no guarantees for Ben Stokes and Joe Root in the team’s Champions Trophy plans, despite the pair’s past success in limited-overs cricket.

Both Stokes and Root have not played ODIs since England’s poor World Cup defence in 2023. The Champions Trophy begins in February, and while Stokes has expressed willingness to return if asked by new coach Brendon McCullum, Root has remained quiet about his own future in the format.

Buttler acknowledged that McCullum will play a key role in selecting the squad, and said conversations would take place over the coming weeks. While Stokes and Root could be considered, Buttler highlighted that young players have made strong cases for inclusion.

Root, England’s all-time leading ODI run-scorer, has struggled in recent years, averaging just 22.94 in ODIs since July 2021.