England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the rest of the English summer due to a hamstring injury on his left leg that he sustained during a game in The Hundred on August 11.
Scans on Tuesday revealed that Stokes has a torn hamstring and will miss the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which starts on August 21. England will also host Australia for three T20Is and five ODIs, but Stokes was unlikely to feature in them anyway. His stint in The Hundred this season also came to an end on Sunday night.
While playing for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals in Manchester, Stokes sustained this injury while running a quick run. He got injured while completing the run, went down on the ground while clutching his left leg. The Superchargers’ medical staff ran on the field to check up on Stokes, who then had to be helped off the ground. He then appeared in the Superchargers dugout with crutches.
Stokes is aiming to return to action with the tour of Pakistan in October.
England have not added a replacement for Stokes in the squad. Batsman Jordan Cox could make his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Stokes’ position. England could also include an extra pacer in the side.
ECB Name Ollie Pope As Captain For Sri Lanka Tests in the Absence of Ben Stokes
Ollie Pope, who has been Stokes’ deputy for over a year, will captain England for the first time in his career in the Test series against Sri Lanka. The ECB withdrew Pope from the London Spirit’s squad for the rest of the tournament.
Pope doesn’t have much top-level captaincy experience, having led Surrey only one first-class game in September 2021. He captained his team in the 2024 Blast season as well.
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