'Selfish? I’ve played enough for people to...': Ben Stokes hits back at Tim Paine

Ben Stokes is part of England's cricket team squad, as they will be kicking off their ICC ODI World Cup journey against New Zealand in the first fixture of the tournament on October 5, 2023. They recently beat New Zealand and Ireland this month in the ODI series. The defending champions will face India in a warm-up game on September 30, 2023, ahead of the World Cup.

3 things you need to know 

• England won the ODI series against New Zealand 3-1
• England won the ODI series against Ireland by 1-0 
• England will face India on September 30, 2023 

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Ben Stokes returns to ODI in style for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 

Ben Stokes was a key player in England's maiden World Cup win in 2019, and he is now excited to provide another thrilling performance in the next one, which starts on October 5. The tournament will commence with the reigning champions, in fine form, taking on New Zealand, the runners-up from 2019, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Stokes has already shown what kind of mayhem he can cause for the Three Lions. He came out of ODI retirement to make himself available for the World Cup. Stokes demonstrated why he should be in England's World Cup selection with an incredible 182-run innings off 124 deliveries in his first series against New Zealand in a year. That performance included nine maximums and fifteen boundaries. With this amazing performance, the English all-rounder is set a new record for the highest individual score in the 50-over format.

Although Stokes' return helps England tremendously as a batter and bowler, some have criticised his ODI comeback, most notably former Australian captain Tim Paine. In addition to calling Stokes' choice "selfish," Paine also said that it was unjust to the England players who had played in the previous year.

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Ben Stokes replies to Tim Paine 

Speaking to The Guardian recently, Ben Stokes addressed the criticism and asked if his choice could really be considered "selfish." He said: 

Selfish? I’d like to think I’ve played enough for people to know that is not a word that applies to me,"

"I had to see how I felt after the Ashes. And I was cooked, taking naps for days after it. But once I thought about the World Cup, potentially defending it, it was simple. It was good to tell Jos. He doesn’t give much away but he was buzzing.

Stokes believes England are in a strong position to effectively defend their crown. He thinks the group has enough depth and priceless experience to perform well under duress.