Ben Stokes in England's provisional squad for ODI World Cup, Brook and Archer miss out
London, Aug 16: England Test skipper Ben Stokes on Wednesday came out of ODI retirement to be included in the provisional squad for the 50-over World Cup while talented batter Harry Brook and tearaway pace bowler Jofra Archer were the notable omissions.
The World Cup will commence in India on October 5.
Stokes, who quit ODIs last year saying playing in all three formats was "unsustainable", has reversed his retirement decision and national selector Luke Wright said the all-rounder's return will add to England's "match-winning ability".
Stokes, 32, will return for next month's four-match ODI series against New Zealand. Wright confirmed that the 15 named for the New Zealand series also formed the provisional World Cup squad.
Wright revealed that the injury-prone Archer would only be included in England's World Cup plans as a travelling reserve.
"The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership. I am certain that every fan will enjoy seeing him back in an England ODI shirt again," said Wright in a statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Gus Atkinson, the 25-year-old right-arm quick, has also been given his maiden international call-up.
Brook, who became the fastest player to compete 1,000 Test runs on a per-ball basis -- he took 1,058 balls to achieve the feat -- has failed to find a place in the provisional squad and Wright said it showed the depth of England cricket.
Brook, 24, had also played a match-winning knock of 75 runs off 93 deliveries in the second innings of the third Ashes Test recently.
"It's incredibly hard on some players that are going to miss out. It shows the strength and depth we have in English cricket and there are other names who are knocking on the door as well," said Wright.
"With the balance of the squad, and with only fifteen that you can name it's incredibly tough."
Teams have time until September 5 to formally submit their provisional World Cup squads to the ICC, and further changes can be made until September 28.
England's provisional World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
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American man’s video shows Blinkit delivery reaching in six minutes in Delhi
New Delhi: A video shared by an American resident living in South Delhi has drawn attention to the speed of India’s quick-commerce services after it showed a Blinkit order being delivered in just six minutes.
The video was posted by Charlie Evans, who shared it to show friends in the United States how delivery services operate in Indian cities. In the clip, Evans places an order for bottled water and a screwdriver at 5.43 pm. The delivery arrives at his doorstep at 5.49 pm, leaving him visibly surprised.
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In the video description, Evans described the service as “supreme” and noted that such a turnaround time would be difficult to imagine in most American cities. He explained that Blinkit works as a one-stop platform for daily and last-minute needs, offering items ranging from groceries to household tools.
Evans also spoke about the efficiency of delivery partners in navigating Delhi’s dense neighbourhoods and apartment complexes. He said he was often impressed by how quickly riders locate addresses, adding that finding the correct building is sometimes the only reason for minor delays.
The video gained traction on social media, with many users sharing similar experiences of rapid deliveries in Indian metro cities, where quick-commerce platforms commonly promise deliveries within 10 minutes. Some users commented that such services have become a routine part of urban life in India.
Similar observations have been made earlier by other foreign residents and entrepreneurs, including a US-based businessman who recently said he was surprised to receive orders from Indian delivery platforms within minutes, compared to significantly longer delivery times in the United States.
