Ben Stokes return date revealed after injury layoff, set to miss start of season
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English cricketer and veteran Test captain Ben Stokes is all set to miss the first month of the county season after he recovers from his facial injuries following a successful surgery.
The Durham coach, Campbell, went on to mention that Ben Stokes has agreed to play in this season's Metro One Day Cup after the English skipper opted out of The Hundred. Ever since announcing his retirement from white-ball formats, he has not featured in a single List A game since the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
However, as per the latest revelations, he is aiming to even make use of the One-Day cup to regain fitness ahead of the second Test assignment of this WTC against Pakistan.
Ben Stokes' return to County cricket delayed by weeks
The English red-ball skipper is most likely to miss the first month of the County season as he continues his recovery from facial injuries that he sustained during a training accident. Stokes had a broken cheekbone, alongside the cuts and bruising.
However, following the injuries, he declared through a social media post that his subsequent surgery was successful and his rehabilitation process is well on track. Stokes, whose last appearance came in the Ashes, was likely to make his comeback against Kent in the first round of the Rothesay County Championship fixtures next week.
He is most likely to sit out for the first four games of this summer, as he would return to prepare for the New Zealand Test series. “He was going to play the first game; he’s been training so hard to be ready. But he won’t play in that; obviously, we have to wait for the specialists to clear him,” said Durham coach Ryan Campbell.
“It is a bit scary, but a reminder to all of us to keep our eye on the ball," English coach, horrified by Ben Stokes' injury
Campbell further believed that Stokes was lucky that it did not affect him as much as it could. The nature of the blow was not that bad, and is still working through the effects of the incident.
“It was so, so much worse than you’d think. The ball was hit so hard, we are just lucky he got away with it,” he said.
“The initial whack was bad. If it hits him in the eye, it could have been different. That could have been horrific. His cheekbone worked the way it is supposed to: it caved in and looked after the rest of him," he continued.
He then went on to add that the incident was a bit scary, and it reminds us to keep our eye on the ball.
Cricket fraternity excited with Ben Stokes' return
After his brief absence from the field following his injury, Ben Stokes will once again be back in the whites. Durham and the entire cricket fraternity will be excited to witness his tenure as England skipper, after he hit a massive low following a 4-1 defeat in the Ashes.
“He has a lot to prove. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the Ashes didn’t go so well,” said Campbell.
“He is a proud man who wants England to be the best team in the world. I have no doubt the Ashes knocked him for six. He was gutted, but now he has taken a breath," he added. He further continued and reflected on the fact that Stokes would be training hard and would aim to return as the best all-rounder.
"It is exciting for England to see what he is putting himself through to get ready because that boy can play,” he concluded.
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