The England cricket team might be in a spot of bother. Their Test captain Ben Stokes may not be fit for selection in the upcoming England vs India Test series. Stokes has been out of action since December last year with a hamstring injury in his left leg. He underwent surgery in January but hasn’t been able to recover yet.
Ben Stokes has yet to reach full fitness
Durham head coach Ryan Campbell has confirmed that Stokes won’t be able to participate in the early rounds of the County Championship. Stokes has resumed training, but it’s uncertain when he’ll be fit and how many matches he’ll miss for Durham.
“But what we know about Stokesy is that he’s here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn’t believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is,” Campbell said.
Could miss the first leg of County Cricket & Zimbabwe Test
Durham are slated to play 6 matches in the first leg of the County Championship before England face Zimbabwe in a one-off Test, May 22-25. It’s still unsure that he’ll play any of these matches. If Stokes isn’t available, the next red-ball match he might play could be the England vs India 1st Test on June 20.
That’s because there is a month gap between the first and second legs of the County Championship. Stokes has had issues with injury. The all-rounder retired and unretired from white-ball cricket a couple of times due to fitness issues. In the past, he’s even pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prioritise playing for England.
“He’s such a hard-working bloke, and he’ll do whatever it takes to be up and running for England, which is really exciting for England fans. For Durham fans, if he happens to play a game or two along the way, great. If he doesn’t, I know he’ll be checking the scores and ringing me to tell me what we should and shouldn’t be doing,” the Durham head coach added.
