Ben Stokes sidelined from English summer
England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the English summer after suffering a hamstring injury while playing in the current season of The Hundred. The all-rounder tore his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers on Sunday. As a result of scans conducted in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England’s three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced in a release on Tuesday, August 13.
Ben Stokes is expected to be back for England’s tour of Pakistan to be played in early October England’s next assignment, the Test series against Sri Lanka, is scheduled to begin on August 21 at Old Trafford. England have not announced any replacement for Stokes in the squad, which will now be led by Ollie Pope.
Hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred
England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the English summer after suffering a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred. The all-rounder suffered a left leg injury while playing for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on Sunday. As a result, Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy of England’s Test team.
Stokes was injured while batting for Northern Superchargers in the match against Manchester Originals. His injury has forced him to miss the upcoming Sri Lanka series. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that Stokes will be ruled out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. England Cricket hopes Stokes will return for England’s tour of Pakistan, which begins in early October.
Will lead the team in absence
Ollie Pope, who has never captained at the international level before, will lead the team in Stokes’ absence. England’s next assignment is the Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 21 at Old Trafford. The ECB is yet to announce Stokes’ replacement. After the series against Sri Lanka, England will tour Pakistan for a three-Test series, starting on October 7.
Ahead of their upcoming home series, England have suffered a major blow as Test skipper Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the English summer due to a hamstring injury. Stokes suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred, held recently in England and Wales. The England all-rounder was carried off the pitch while representing Manchester Originals and is now ruled out of the entire summer season. Will start at Emirates Old Trafford
The England Cricket Board (ECB) statement said, “England men’s Test captain Ben Stokes is out for the remainder of the summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday. As a result of scans carried out in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England’s three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday, 21 August. There will be no additional players in the squad for this series.
Jordan Cox to make Test debut
England squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Ollie Pope (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Jordan Cox could make his Test debut if England opt for a four-man bowling attack. The Essex right-hander has been named in the Test squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka. He was selected as the additional batsman in the original 14-man squad, with Surrey’s Dan Lawrence set to open the innings in the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.
Stokes suffered the injury just days after he returned to his duties as an all-rounder. After battling a long-term knee problem last year that limited his bowling, the 33-year-old made a promising comeback with the ball this summer after undergoing surgery in November. Stokes took 18 wickets in three County Championship matches for Durham and featured in a superb performance when picking up another five wickets in the series win against the West Indies. But his progress has been halted after he injured his knee while running a quick single at the weekend.
Conclusion
The ECB also said that Stokes will aim to return for England’s tour of Pakistan later this year. In the absence of the experienced player, vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the Three Lions against Sri Lanka in the upcoming three-match Test series, which begins on August 21 later this month. After the Test series, England’s white-ball team will take centre stage in the remainder of the English summer, where they will host arch-rivals Australia in three T20Is and five ODIs in September.
Stokes, who has amassed 6,508 runs and 203 wickets in 105 Tests, will be missed by the Test team during the home series against Sri Lanka while they look to gain crucial points in the current 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
