Ben Stokes hits back at Journalist over accusation on his commitment to County Cricket

England Test captain Ben Stokes recently slammed a journalist on social media over allegations of prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches.

Ben Stokes defended himself against these accusations and expressed his commitment to playing matches in the County Championship in England.

Ben Stokes sustained a hamstring injury during the match between the Northern Superchargers and the Manchester Originals in The Hundred Men's 2024.

The left-handed batter's injury was confirmed to be severe after scans. The England skipper was eventually ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Played 3 Championship Games For Durham - Ben Stokes

Scott Wilson, a writer for a UK publication, criticized Ben Stokes for prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches.

He described The Hundred as a "circus" and called the entire episode "utterly farcical." He said that Stokes was allowed to play in The Hundred but missed County Cricket.

"So Ben Stokes isn't allowed to play any county cricket for #Durham during the summer, but he's fine to mess about in the circus that is the Hundred, rupturing his hamstring and ruling him out for the rest of the summer. Utterly farcical," Scott Wilson wrote X (formerly known as Twitter).

Stokes responded to the criticism and stated that he participated in three County Championship matches for Durham during the summer.

"Chief Sports Writer??? I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year," Stokes replied.

Chief Sports Writer???
I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year https://t.co/ni40mB0i6m

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) August 14, 2024

The 33-year-old missed the IPL 2024 and T20 World Cup to regain fitness for the English summer. He played in three County Championship matches against Somerset, Lancashire, and Worcestershire. He failed to impress with the bat, but he took 18 wickets at an average of 18.83, including a five-wicket haul.

Team Is Now Messed Up A Bit - Moeen Ali

Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali said that Ben Stokes' absence will affect not only batting but also captaincy and bowling. Ali added that the team management has likely devised a plan to address the situation.

“First of all, once you lose a player like Stokes, you are not only losing a batter, you are losing the captain, losing another bowler – the whole balance of the team is now messed up a bit actually,” Moeen said.

“Who to bring in, how to balance the side, it is going to be hard work, but I am sure they have already decided or come up with a plan," he added.

Ben Stokes will be out of action for the remaining summer season due to his recent hamstring injury. The English all-rounder will miss his first Test series as England's captain. Stokes will be aiming to recover for the tour of Pakistan, where England will play three Test matches starting in October this year.

Young batter Ollie Pope will serve as England's captain for the Test series against Sri Lanka. The series will begin at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on August 21. England will face Sri Lanka in the remaining two matches at Lord’s in London and the Kennington Oval in London, respectively.

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