Ben Stokes Cleared To Play Cricket Again [Source: AFP]England Test captain Ben Stokes is expected to return to the field of cricket soon. This is a welcoming sign for the team, as Stokes recently suffered from a serious and nasty injury.Stokes has had a tough time leading England in the Test format as they lost the Ashes to Australia earlier this year. Their WTC final qualification odds are also dipping, leading to increased frustration among fans.Ben Stokes to resume playing after facial injuryFor context, Ben Stokes suffered a serious facial injury while working with academy players at Durham County Club in February this year. He was struck directly in the face by a ball, and the impact caused a broken cheekbone.Stokes had to undergo immediate surgery to fix the damage. In a statement, the skipper revealed that he was lucky and a couple of inches either way could have been far worse.Meanwhile, after surgery, Stokes went to rehab for further recovery. In the latest social media post, the England captain confirmed that he is all cleared by the doctors to resume playing.Ben Stokes' IG PostHowever, his return won’t be rushed. According to reports, Ben Stokes will play 2 matches in the County Championship to regain match fitness and test his recovery under real playing conditions.If all things go according to plan, Stokes could officially return to international cricket with the Test series against New Zealand scheduled to begin in June at Lord’s Cricket Ground.Also Read - Ben Stokes Issues Official Statement On England Captaincy After Ashes DefeatWhat did Ben Stokes have to say about this injury?After the injury, Ben Stokes sat down for an interview with the ECB and revealed that he was lucky to be alive. "Pretty nasty, but, funnily, probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest. I copped one straight in the face. Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview if I didn't turn my head round,” Stokes said.The England skipper further added that he had to undergo a long facial surgery to fix the damage done to his cheekbone."All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out - it was a bit of a mess under here (cheekbone) - I've got out quite lucky. So pretty thankful for that,” he added.Stokes refuted rift rumours with Brendon McCullumDuring the same interview with the BBC, England Test captain Ben Stokes also addressed rift rumours with head coach Brendon McCullum. Stokes made it clear that disagreements between him and McCullum are both natural and necessary in a high-performance environment. "When you're in a position of leadership with someone else, if anyone thinks you're always going to agree on everything, then it's just impossible. We agree 95 per cent of the time, but for the five per cent where we have different views, we talk it through and end up getting to where we want to be,” Stokes added.He revealed that while he and McCullum share the same long-term vision for England cricket, there are occasional differences in approach. However, those differences are resolved through conversations rather than conflict. "Agreeing on every single thing is impossible. Saying we weren't aligned is a massive overstatement,” he said.Looking ahead, Ben Stokes expressed confidence in the partnership and even hinted at continuity, saying he hopes to continue working with McCullum through to 2027.Also Read - MS Dhoni Goes Against CSK's Interest, Helps Hardik Pandya Regain Lost Form
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