Hyderabad: Ben Stokes is set to miss the remainder of the English summer after sustaining a tear in the left hamstring while playing in the Hundred. Stokes suffered an injury on Sunday during the fixture between Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals. The scans after the injury forced him to miss the Test series against Sri Lanka which will commence from next week. In an official statement by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the board confirmed the development saying the England captain will be ‘aiming to return’ for the tour to Pakistan in October.
Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Ben 👊
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 13, 2024
“England Men's Test Captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday. As a result of the scans conducted 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 addition to the squad for this series,” ECB said in an official release.
“The all-rounder is aiming to return for England's winter Test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in early October. The tour includes three Test matches in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. England batter Ollie Pope will captain the side in Ben’s absence.”
In the absence of Stokes, Ollie Pope has been handed over the captaincy and he will lead the national side for the first time in an international match. He was withdrawn from his captaincy duties in the Hundred as he prepares to lead the English side in the Test series against Sri Lanka.
Stoke’s injury will be a big blow for England as he was contributing to both departments as an all-rounder. His bowling was limited last year but he came back with impressive bowling figures after surgery in November. He picked 18 wickets in the County Championship and was also impressive in the series against West Indies. However, his progress was halted as he pulled up while taking a quick single in the Hundred match.
