A big worrying news has emerged for the England cricket team. Test captain Ben Stokes will be out of action for some time due to an injury. In fact, recently during nets practice, a throw hit him directly on the face, causing a fracture in his cheekbone.
Due to this injury, Stokes had to undergo surgery and will now be unable to play cricket for about two months. For this reason, he will also not be available for Durham at the start of the County season.
Stokes Fails Fitness Test
Ben Stokes was recently part of the England Lions coaching staff during the white-ball series played against Pakistan Shaheens in the UAE. But he has not yet received fitness clearance to play. He was set to play for Durham in the first match of the season against Kent next week, but now his return may be delayed. According to the team’s head coach, Stokes may not return to the field before the match against Worcestershire from May 8, as his cheek injury is serious.
Injury Could Have Been More Serious
Durham’s head coach Ryan Campbell stated that the incident could have been very dangerous. He said that the situation could have been worse than imagined. If the ball had hit a few centimeters differently and struck his eye, the outcome could have been even more severe. The ball was quite fast, so the team is relieved that Stokes escaped a major danger.
Stokes Hasn’t Played Since The Ashes
Ben Stokes last played in the fifth Test of the Ashes series in January 2025, where he sustained a groin injury. Australia had defeated England 4-1 in that series. Since then, Stokes has not been able to return to the field.
Now, due to the cheekbone injury, his return has been further delayed. It is believed that he will only be able to play two matches for Durham in May. After that, his focus will be on the three-Test series against New Zealand in June.
The England team will then play a three-Test series against Pakistan in August. Now it will be interesting to see whether Stokes can get fully fit before these important series.
