Former England captain Nasser Hussain has asked the management to clear the roles of Joe Root and Ben Stokes in the ODI side, especially with the Champions Trophy coming. He also believes that Root must return to the side as well. However, Root wasn’t included in the ODI squad to face Australia in the recent series to keep him fresh for the Pakistan Test tour. However, Root hasn’t played ODI cricket since 2023
World Cup final. However, he could be a part of England’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign early next year as well.

Reacting to England’s recent series loss to Australia, Hussain said to Sky Sports: “Buttler comes back, Stokes has said if asked he will come back, and then there is Root. They are brilliant white-ball players. They deserve the right to know what their position is – they are Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Do we want them back? That is they key decision McCullum and Buttler have to make. Stokes, I am a bit worried about workload – and now he is a complete all-rounder if he comes back. He is Test match captain and all-rounder which is so important. You want to use him in as many Test matches as possible.”

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However, Jos Buttler missed all eight white-ball games against Australia due to a calf injury as Phil Salt led the side in T20Is and Harry Brook did so in ODIs as well. The hosts drew the T20I series but lost in ODIs 3-2 as well. And, Hussain said that Root’s approach against spin would have been important during the fifth ODI in Bristol as England struggled to play as well.

“Joe Root, when that collapse was happening. he may have been, he would have been one, who would have been like ‘woah it is spinning now. We were hitting down the ground. We are going to have sweeps and reverse sweeps. Get our scores down a bit and go for 350 instead of 400’. He would have used his nous. He is such a good player of spin. The Champions Trophy is in Pakistan, it will be played in spinning conditions, sub-continent, you would want Root around. I would have definitely had Root back in the side. Once you get those decision out of the way then you fill the gaps,” Nasser Hussain concluded.