England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has shared a positive update on his latest injury scare. During a recent practice session, Stokes took a nasty blow to the face from a cricket ball while standing near the nets. The incident left him with a serious facial injury, prompting immediate medical attention.
Taking to Instagram, the 34-year-old all-rounder posted a photo of his post-surgery face, captioning it with a touch of humor: ‘Might not look it, but surgery was a success.’ This comes just weeks after he revealed the extent of the damage on the same platform.
Stokes’ woes began last month during the final Ashes Test in Sydney, where an adductor injury forced him off the field against Australia. This new setback adds to his mounting challenges as he prioritizes Test cricket above all else. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, he hasn’t featured in any limited-overs games for England.
Fans can expect his international return in June during the home Test series against New Zealand. In the meantime, Stokes plans to regain full fitness through county cricket with Durham in the County Championship.
Interestingly, despite his active playing career, Stokes was slated to join the England Lions coaching staff in Abu Dhabi for a white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens, alongside Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff. Selectors had outlined squads of 17 players for three T20s and 16 for five 50-over matches.
As Test captain, Stokes faces his biggest test yet: steering England back on track. Their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach has faltered against top teams, evident in the 4-1 Ashes defeat Down Under. Questions now swirl around the Stokes-McCullum leadership duo, with pressure mounting to deliver results in the longest format.