Star England batsman Ben Stokes opened up on missing out on the upcoming first Test match against Pakistan in Multan and said that he tried his hardest to get himself first for the game of the series. Stokes has been ruled out of the Multan Test on Monday after he failed to recover from his hamstring injury. In the absence of Stokes, wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Pope will lead the Three Lions against Pakistan in the first Test.
Earlier in August, Stokes suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred. This ruled him out of England’s triumph against Sri Lanka (2-1) and it was Ollie Pope who led the side in the veteran’s absence. Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes said that he had to make the call to miss the Multan Test against Pakistan. He added that there’s a lot left in his rehab program.
“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this first game but I’ve taken the call to miss this one. I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready. There is a lot that has to go into my rehab program. We got to a certain point, but looking at the bigger picture of what we’ve got coming up and physically where I’m at, I’m not quite ready to play,” Stokes was quoted by Sky Sports as saying.
The 33-year-old added that it is frustrating for him to miss out on the game. “It’s always frustrating to miss out. I’ve got some good things to focus on, so even though I’m not playing I’ve got a goal in mind. I’ve got a good 10 days to get myself ready for the second.” he added.
The first Test will begin on October 7 in Multan, followed by the second Test on October 15, also in Multan. The final Test will be held in Rawalpindi from October 24 to 28.
England’s playing eleven against Pakistan in the Multan Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.