Ben Stokes, the talismanic English all-rounder and Test skipper has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test series due to the injury he suffered in The Hundred game on Sunday, 11th of August. Ben Stokes injured his left hamstring and will miss the rest of the English summer and in his absence Ollie Pope has been announced as the captain of the Test side.
Ben Stokes was playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and injured himself in the game against Manchester Originals at Old Trafford. He is now aiming to return to the action for the away Test series against Pakistan in October which will be a three-match affair.
Ben Stokes’ Unfortunate Tryst With Injuries
However, it won’t be easy for the all-rounder of Ben Stokes caliber who just recently gained full fitness and started bowling on regular basis against West Indies in the home Test series. Ben Stokes had a knee surgery done after the 50-over World Cup and even opted out of the T20 World Cup to concentrate his full energies on Test cricket.
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the rest of the summer after scans on Tuesday revealed England men’s Test captain has torn his left hamstring.
Ben Stokes sustained the injury playing in the Hundred for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on Sunday. Called through for a quick single early in Superchargers’ chase, he pulled up injured on completing the run, before falling to the floor and clutching his left leg. He had to be helped on the field and returned to the team dugout with crutches.
A scan on Tuesday revealed the extent of the damage, with Stokes now unable to play any part in the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka which begins in Manchester on August 21. It means Ollie Pope, Stokes’ vice-captain for over a year, will assume full captaincy duties for the series. He was subsequently withdrawn from London Spirit’s squad for their final Hundred match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday evening.
The Sri Lanka series though is a great opportunity for young Ollie Pope who has made rapid strides in Test cricket in recent times, and would be looking to impress in this three-match series against the Lankans which will start on 21st of August. However former English skipper Nasser Hussain has different views about the same and has openly been vocal about it.
Nasser Hussain blasts broadcasters after Ben Stokes gets ruled out of Sri Lanka 3 Tests due to injury
Nasser Hussain has hit out at the broadcasters regarding the amount of cricket across formats after England Test captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka due to an injury. Hussain expressed concerns that too much cricket is being played in England across formats such as T20, 50-over games, Test cricket, and The Hundred.
Stokes sustained the injury while playing only his third game for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. The all-rounder tore his hamstring while taking a run against Manchester Originals on Sunday.
The New Zealand-born cricketer has a history of various injury issues, which led to him skipping the Indian Premier League this year (for knee surgery and rehabilitation).
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain said:
“Injuries happen in any sport, professional sport, it could’ve been a Blast game, or County Championship games. I don’t think the format got him injured. There are just too many formats of the game. There’s too much pressure on everyone concerned with the game, whether it’s the ground staff, umpires, players. Everyone wanting their piece of the pie.”
“County members wanting 50-over cricket, County Championship cricket, rightly. Sky, BBC, ECB wanting The Hundred format as well. People of a certain age who love historically their cricket, wanting Test match cricket. In the end, when everyone wants a piece of the pie, something has to give. Rob Key has to sit there and he’ll be under pressure,” he added.
Nasser Hussain seemed in utter disappointment with a single player playing too many formats at times.
Nasser Hussain draws similarities between Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer
Nasser Hussain also shared similarities between Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer regarding their injuries. The 56-year-old added that the Southern Brave had to bear the brunt of Archer missing the remaining games for the franchise to manage his workload. Hussain said:
“We hear James Vince at the toss, talk about Jofra. We are hugely disappointed that Jofra is not playing. James Vince says nothing to do with us, ECB have pulled him out. He’s a blow with a long-term history of injuries. You gotta look after your cricketers.”
“Everyone wants Ben Stokes to play in every format and a person who historically gets injured has got injured again. So, it’s a consequence of having Blast, Hundred, 50-over Metro Cup, County Championship, Test cricket in a county calendar and a calendar that’s only that finite, and in the end someone’s got give your… Something why our pitch is slightly poor this year.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded:
“So, everyone is paying the price of too much cricket and Ather’s [Michael Atherton] has written about it for a number of years, the schedule – no one really understands the schedule, it’s all over the place. He could have got injured anywhere but it’s a consequence of the amount of cricket that’s been played, not just here but worldwide.”
In Ben Stokes’ absence, vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead England against Sri Lanka in the Test series, which begins at Old Trafford on Wednesday (August 21). As per ECB’s update, Stokes is looking to return for England’s Test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in October.