Stokes rules himself out of England's T20 World Cup title defence
The England Test captain wants to focus on his role as an all-rounder in the longer format of the game.
The 32-year-old said he was missing the showpiece tournament in order to make sure he could be a fully-fledged all-rounder in Test cricket. It is understood Stokes has not suffered any setbacks after briefly returning to bowling last month during a Test tour of India where England lost a five-match series 4-1.But although he has long been one of England's leading multi-format cricketers, Stokes has decided to prioritise his role as Test captain, in the hope of being able to play a full role with both bat and ball during six Tests - three against the West Indies and three against Sri Lanka - in the upcoming home season.
"I'm working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket," Stokes said.
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