When England selectors dropped Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes from the 15-member English team for the World Cup, everyone looked surprised, including former skipper Paul Collingwood.
Collingwood has insisted that the English selectors have done a big mistake by not including Stokes in the World Cup squad. The former captain said Stokes wasn’t utilised properly by England, otherwise he could have lifted them to the title.
“What England did with him is like telling Cristiano Ronaldo to play at right-back,” said Collingwood. “Stokes could’ve won England the World Cup. The thing that frustrates me is that England were batting him in the number eight position.”
“If you’re going play him, you’ve got to play him in the right position – whether that be four, five or six – and allow him to win games from that position. You’ve got a guy here who – if he came good – he could’ve won you the World Cup. He could have won three or four games. By himself.”
Stokes failed to make impression in the Sri Lanka series but he found his batting rhythm in the Big Bash League, playing for the Melbourne Renegades. Recently, the English all-rounder also made 86-ball 151 for England Lions against South Africa A.
