Gates are not closed for Brook, we might see last-minute change: Buttler

LONDON: England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler hinted about Harry Brook’s chance of making the England World Cup squad, and said selectors are still eyeing him for the mega tournament.

“There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens. We all know Harry’s a fantastic player and we saw what he could do the other night. It’s not like it’s a surprise: we know what a brilliant player he is, he’s just the unfortunate one at the moment to not be in that squad at the mo-ment,” Buttler was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

In the ongoing Men’s Hundred 2023, Brook played an exhilarating unbeaten inning of 105 runs in 42 deliveries for Northern Superchargers against Welsh Fire on Tuesday and took his team to an 8-wicket victory.

Brook didn’t get selected for the preliminary squad traveling to India for the World Cup after he was replaced by the star all-rounder Ben Stokes.

He is in the 15-member squad for the four-match T20 International series against New Zealand, which begins on August 30. The 2019 World Cup hero Ben Stokes turned his table around and came out of retirement to defend the title for the team.

Buttler also talked about Stokes role in the squad and said he will provide batting depth to the team and also can bowl a few overs.

“Of course, Ben Stokes coming back and being available just as a batter sort of changes the dynamic a little bit. Ben’s a fantastic player to be able to welcome back, so it’s a really tough selection,” said Buttler, who is currently leading Manchester Originals in the Men’s Hundred. IANS

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