Ben Stokes is expected to fully recover from his hamstring injury in time for England’s October Test series against Pakistan and will feature in his full allrounder role.
Two and a half weeks ago, while competing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, Stokes tore his left hamstring. Although he was sidelined for the remainder of the summer, he has been with the England team in their current series against Sri Lanka, and he has been batting in the Lord’s nets in advance of the second Test on Thursday.
Prior to the first Test, which is slated to take place in Multan from the 7th of October, England is expected to travel to Pakistan on October 2. On their most recent tour there in 2022, they won 3-0. Despite managing a chronic knee problem, Stokes bowled 35 overs in the series. A full recovery for Stokes in time for this tour would greatly increase their chances.
Stokes described his return as “scratching an itch” on Tuesday. “I’m all good, just slowly progressing,” he said in an ECB video. “It’s still very early days in the rehab period… I want to get back as quick as I possibly can, so being around the medical team here with physio and doctors, I thought that was going to give myself the best chance of getting back sooner rather than later.”
Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, believes that Stokes will be “as fresh as anyone” heading into their winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand. “He’s obviously still a fair while away from playing, and he’s not trying to play as a batter and a first slip – just yet, anyway. But it’s been great to see him.
“Injuries are never ideal, but they’re also great chances for people to keep improving their game and have a little bit of time of reflection and think about what he can work on in his game. I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing in the nets. Going into that Pakistan series and then into New Zealand, he’s going to be as fresh as anyone.”
Stokes himself would be very eager to be back for his country, given the preparations he goes through pre-season. He has been one of those guys who has refused to play in a lot of the leagues around the world in order to prioritize red-ball cricket for his nation. Getting injured just before the start of the season would have been a great disappointment for him personally and also for his side, given the value that he adds to the English setup.
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