Ben Stokes, England’s all-rounder, feared it “might be the end” after he almost choked on a tablet while alone in his hotel room ahead of the Ashes. The all-rounder, writing in a column, said the tablet had gone down the wrong way and got stuck in his windpipe.
Ben Stokes averages 37.05 in 71 Tests, where he amassed 4631 runs with 10 tons and has also taken 163 scalps averaging 31.38 with the ball in hand. His name wasn’t included in the Ashes 2021/22 initial squad, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) later announced that Ben Stokes would be available for the series, which is due to start on December 8.
Ben Stokes Choked On A Tablet While Being Alone In Hotel
The 30-year-old Ben Stokes is a proven match-winner, and his unbeaten 135 in a record run chase at Headingley carried England to a stunning one-wicket victory and ensured the 2019 Ashes were squared.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has revealed that a tablet that was taken wrongly caused him to “choke horribly” and fear for his life ahead of the first Ashes Test against Australia from December 8. Ben Stokes is making a comeback to international cricket after taking a long break to address his mental well-being and rest his left index finger, which was fractured.
“Until it actually came out, I thought this might be the end,” he added. “I was on my own in my room and I couldn’t breathe as it became lodged and started to dissolve. It felt like my mouth was on fire. Without going into too much detail I have never seen as much saliva as I did on Sunday morning, it was a genuinely frightening experience.”
Ben Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger, and was a late addition to England’s squad for the tour of Australia.
Ben Stokes Hopes That His Pre Test Dramas Are Over
The 30-year-old all-rounder said the finger injury was coming along really well and that he was in a good place mentally. However, he was given another scare when he took a ball to his forearm during practice that left him in excruciating pain.
“I couldn’t lift it … I thought it was broken,” Stokes added. “Thankfully the pain and reaction settled down once I was back in the dressing room and the physios could be sure it wasn’t actually a break. It was only after I got back to the hotel room that I took stock of what a day I’d had.
“The adrenaline had worn off and I was exhausted. Happy that I’m here to tell the tale, but hoping that my pre-Test dramas are now over.”
The five-Test series is due to begin in Brisbane on December 8. Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 after a 2-2 draw in England. However, an injured Ben Stokes missed the New Zealand and India Test series in England, the second half of IPL 2021 at UAE, T20I World Cup to prioritize his mental wellbeing over cricket.
Ben Stokes broke his hand, taking a catch for Rajasthan Royals in India leg of IPL 2021, and a repeat X-ray and CT scan revealed that he has a fracture of his left index finger.
Ben Stokes last played for England in the ODI series against Pakistan in July 2021, when he returned to captain the team at short notice after Eoin Morgan and the rest of the initial squad were forced into isolation by a number of Covid-19 positives cases in England camp. His last Test came against India in March 2021.
England’s full squad for The Ashes: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Ben Stokes.