Ben Stokes ruled out of IND vs ENG series!! Durham Coach drops bombshell revelation

The England national cricket team might be without captain Ben Stokes and pacer Brydon Carse for the upcoming Test series against India at home. Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse are still recovering from injuries, which raises concerns over their availability for the highly anticipated Test series in the summer.

Ben Stokes is recovering from hamstring surgery after suffering two muscle tears within six months. He has not played since December. England will begin their Test summer with a one-off match against Zimbabwe on May 22. The Three Lions will then play five Tests against Team India from June 20.

My Expectation Is That It'll Be Zero - Ryan Campbell

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell shared an update on Ben Stokes' recovery. He confirmed that the all-rounder is progressing well after hamstring surgery. However, Campbell added that no risks will be taken regarding Stokes' domestic return.

"My expectation is that it'll be zero - anything else is an added bonus. They're coming back from serious injuries. The facts are they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start," Campbell said as quoted by ICC's official website.

Durham have six County Championship matches before England’s Test against Zimbabwe. Stokes has amassed 3,546 runs at an average of 33.45 and taken 177 wickets at 27.44 in 70 games. However, he has played nine matches since the summer of 2017 due to international commitments and injuries.

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Ben Stokes Is Such a Hard-Working Bloke - Ryan Campbell

Ryan Campbell said that Ben Stokes has been at training almost daily and was back to lifting weights just a day after hamstring surgery. Campbell emphasized that Stokes is fully committed to regaining fitness for England.

"He's here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn't believe. He's such a hard-working bloke. He'll do whatever it takes to be up and running for England," Campbell noted.

Brydon Carse Needs to Get It Right - Ryan Campbell

Ryan Campbell said that Brydon Carse’s foot issues have been a concern for over a year. Campbell said that Carse needs a proper recovery if he is to have a sustained Test career.

"We've known about his foot problems for a year now. It's not new, but he needs to get it right if he's going to be playing a lot of Test cricket," Campbell said.

"If we look at it, then I think Brydon Carse is probably the No.1 priority for England right now with what he's shown in Test cricket. He's born for that sort of stuff. There are 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he's going to be No.1 on England's list to make sure that he's ready to go for that," Campbell concluded.

Brydon Carse has made an impressive start to his Test career. He has taken 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 from five matches since his debut against Pakistan in October 2024. His best performance came in Christchurch, where he took 10 wickets for 106 runs in his third Test.

Meanwhile, Jofra Archer, who last played a Test in 2021, has recently returned to bowling for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.

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