Hamstring tear recurrence rules England skipper Ben Stokes out for 3 months from all formats of cricket, domestic and international.
Hamstring tear has ruled out Ben Stokes from all cricket for 3 months.
On the third day of England’s 423-run loss at Seddon Park earlier this month, Stokes, 33, was compelled to leave the pitch. He felt the back of his left thigh instantly after delivering a bouncer that Rachin Ravindra pulled for four in the second ball of the 56th over of New Zealand’s second innings, which was his 13th and third of the day.
When he was batting for Northern Superchargers versus Manchester Originals in the men’s Hundred in August, he tore the same hamstring, which prevented him from playing for two months. The ECB verified the tear’s recurrence on Monday afternoon after he had a scan upon his return to England.
When it was revealed earlier this week that Stokes had been left out of England’s 15-man team for the Champions Trophy in February, it raised concerns about the severity of his injury. Having not featured for England’s ODI team since their exit from the 50-over World Cup in India in November 2023, the ECB stated that he had not been taken into consideration on medical grounds.
The most overs Stokes has bowled in a Test since 40 at Trent Bridge in 2022 (against New Zealand) was 36.2 in Hamilton. His 23 overs on the first day, which were divided across eight, eight, and seven-over stints, were the most he had ever managed in a single day. It’s important to note that following New Zealand’s opening effort, their seamers had only 34.5 overs of rest after England’s first-innings surrender of 143. In their second innings, the hosts made progress, holding England in the field for 101.4 overs before closing with 453.
He bowled 49 overs in three Test matches against the West Indies after undergoing successful knee surgery in October 2023, taking five wickets to surpass 200 career dismissals. He later suffered a setback as a result of the injury, missing the first Test of the Pakistan tour as well as the season-ending three-match series against Sri Lanka.
Stokes made a comeback for the last two games of that series, but England lost both of them, losing 2-1 after winning the first Test. He acknowledged that he “physically drained and ruined himself” in his quest to go back to his peak shape. Stokes expressed regret for his detrimental impact on the team environment when the team assembled at Queenstown at the beginning of the series.