England Cricket Team. Image Credits: AFP
England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of professional cricket for a considerable amount of time. This comes ahead of the English county cricket game between Durham and Worcestershire, which will begin on May 8.
Ben Stokes had received a lifeline in terms of his England captaincy, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) review of England’s dismal Ashes 2024-25 campaign in Australia showed that the hosts won 4-1.
England’s tour down under was marred with poor preparations and stories about players drinking excessively during breaks, in addition to their subpar performances.
Ben Stokes recovers from an injury to his cheek
However, in the aftermath of the review, the ECB decided to continue with Ben Stokes as the England Test captain. Not only this, but head coach Brendon McCullum also kept his job across formats, despite England’s inability to win the T20 World Cup 2026.
Meanwhile, Ben Stokes had suffered an injury to his cheek after he was hit by a ball when he was working in the nets with Durham's academy players in early February. Reports indicated that Stokes was struck by a ball hit by a batter as he stood beside the nets.
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He had also posted a photo from the hospital of his swollen face on Instagram after having surgery for the injury. He captioned the photo: "May not look like it, but the surgery was a success."
Ben Stokes set to miss professional cricket for some time
As a result of this injury, Ben Stokes is set to miss a considerable time on the sidelines and will not be able to make a return to play cricket. Durham coach Ryan Campbell confirmed that Stokes was set to play Durham’s English County opener against Kent, which begins on Friday.
However, with Ben Stokes' injury, the medical professionals have not cleared the England all-rounder for a return to cricket, BBC Sports reported.
According to Campbell, the all-rounder won't play until the games against Worcestershire on May 8 and Kent at Beckenham on May 15. Before England's first Test of the summer against New Zealand on June 4, those matches would be Stokes' only red-ball county games if he does not return sooner.
Ben Stokes to be part of England Lions coaching staff
While Ben Stokes’ return to the cricket field remains uncertain, the all-rounder will be doing his part for England cricket. Stokes will be part of the England Lions' coaching staff for the development side's series against Pakistan Shaheens in the United Arab Emirates starting in May.
England senior team’s next international assignment will be a three-Test series against New Zealand, with the first game starting on June 4.
Ben Stokes has not played any cricket since the Ashes ended in Sydney on 8 January. He had suffered an adductor injury just a day before the Ashes series ended, with Australia winning the series 4-1.
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