England Test captain Ben Stokes is set to miss three months of cricketing after the scans revealed a torn left hamstring and will undergo surgery next month.
He has not been named in England’s squad for next year’s India tour and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. The all-rounder claims he has plenty of cricket left in him and will make a comeback after injury.
Stokes initially tore the hamstring injury during The Hundred in August, forcing him to miss four tests. Despite a partial recovery, he was involved in the third test of England’s 2-1 series victory over New Zealand.
🚨 Injury news
We have an update on England Men’s Test captain, Ben Stokes 👇
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 23, 2024
Stokes also bowled extensively in the match, delivering 36.2 overs. Stokes expressed his desire to give a comeback in a message on his social media account.
“I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood, sweat, and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body.”
The injury marks another challenge in Stokes’ career as he balances his dual role as a leader and all-rounder. His workload during New Zealand tests included spells of eight, eight and seven overs in a single day.
His injury has made a setback for England with Stokes being omitted for India tour and Champions Trophy in February.
Stokes had a knee surgery in October 2023 and was absent from England’s ODI setup during their early exit from the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
England’s test schedule resumed in May with an one-off test against Zimbabwe, followed by a high profile five-match series against India in July and August.
Stokes availability for these fixtures will remain uncertain as he focuses on recovery and rehabilitation.
Stokes has a good batting average of 52.66 and seven dismissals at 36.85 during New Zealand series. Hoever, his toll on fulfilling role has made Stokes admit having “physically drained and ruined himself” in quest for fitness.
