STOKES & ROOT ARE JOS THE JOB

Buttler hopes Test pair are up for ODI return for Champions Trophy

- DAVID CHARLESWORTH

JOS BUTTLER is counting on Ben Stokes and Joe Root to make white-ball returns for England in a bid to get the team "back to where we want to be".

England have given youth a chance since surrendering both limited-overs World Cups and they ended a tour of the Caribbean by claiming a first T20 series win overseas in more than two years.

But they have lost 13 of 20 ODIs dating back to the start of last year's World Cup debacle in India, with neither Stokes or Root pulling on coloured clothing for England since the end of that campaign.

Stokes opted out of consideration for this year's T20 World Cup but he has intimated he would be open to a white-ball comeback when Brendon McCullum takes charge of England in all three formats in January.