Ben Stokes, England captain, is reportedly set to undergo a scan for his hamstring injury, ahead of the crucial three-Test tour of Pakistan in October. Stokes sustained the injury while competing in the Hundred for the Northern Superchargers versus the Manchester Originals last month.
Stokes sprinted for a swift single early in the Superchargers’ chase, but he collapsed after finishing the run, holding his left leg.
He was helped off the field and eventually returned to the team dugout on crutches. He subsequently ruled out the Sri Lankan tests. Ollie Pope captained England in Stokes’ absence and won the 3-Test series 2-1, with Sri Lanka winning the third and final Test in style.
Despite his injuries, Stokes has been selected captain of the 17-man squad, which will depart on October 1.
If Stokes is ruled out of the first Test, Ollie Pope will continue to serve as captain. In Stokes’ absence from the Sri Lanka series, England opted to cover for him by shifting wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to number six and fielding an extra bowler.
Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury scan is part of ECB’s regular process
Ben Stokes will have a hamstring scan next week while England awaits the captain’s fitness for the first Test in Pakistan, IANS reported.
Stokes has been scoring during his layoff, including a long shot at Durham’s Chester-le-Street last week, and is currently competing in the Celebrity Pro-Am at the PGA Championship golf course in Wentworth.
The scan is planned as part of monitoring the all-rounder’s recuperation, not as a reaction to any injury setbacks. The opening Test in the three-match series is scheduled to begin on October 7.
“I’d rather take an extra two weeks than run the risk of potentially doing something worse and then putting myself out of the game for longer. I’m just making sure that I’m doing everything right and everything I possibly can to try and give myself a chance to being fit for that first Test,” Stokes had told ESPNcricinfo.
If Stokes can only bat, England may face a selection dilemma. If England were to maintain the balance they used against Sri Lanka, they would have to bat Stokes in the top five, removing one of their regular top-order players.
Meanwhile, despite England’s departure in less than two weeks, the locations for the three Tests have still to be determined. The matches were scheduled to take place in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan, but development work in Karachi is expected to make that stadium unusable.
There had been speculation that half of the series would be moved to the United Arab Emirates, but it is now believed that all three Tests will be played in Pakistan.