Ben Stokes undergoes surgery, set to skip PSL as 7 more England stars boycott Pakistani league

England Test captain Ben Stokes has undergone surgery after suffering a facial injury during a nets session. Meanwhile, updates have emerged regarding the availability of England players for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, which is scheduled to begin on March 26 and could overlap with the IPL 2026.

Stokes has been undergoing rehabilitation after suffering an adductor injury that forced him off the field during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney last month. He is due to be in Abu Dhabi later this month to continue his recovery while also joining Andrew Flintoff’s England Lions squad in an informal coaching role.

Ben Stokes Undergoes Surgery After Facial Injury in Nets Session

England Test captain Ben Stokes shared on Instagram that he needed surgery after being struck on the face by a ball during a nets session. A few days later, he posted another picture from his hospital bed and confirmed that the operation had been successful.

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The incident happened while Ben Stokes was standing beside the nets as 18-year-old keeper-batter Robbie Bowman was batting. Stokes has not played white-ball cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup and has not registered for IPL 2026 or PSL 2026.

Ben Stokes is expected to return to international cricket in June during the first Test of England’s home series against New Zealand. Before that, he could feature for Durham in the County Championship as part of his preparation.

Ben Stokes Said He Broke the No. 1 Rule - Durham Head Coach Ryan Campbell

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell stated that Robbie Bowman hit the ball firmly, teammates shouted a warning, but Ben Stokes turned towards it and was hit. Campbell also revealed that Stokes personally called Robbie Bowman from the hospital and said the accident was his fault.

"Stokesy said he broke the No. 1 rule of being a coach in the nets: never turn your back on the batter," Durham head coach Ryan Campbell told the Sun newspaper.

"By chance, our medical team were at the ground doing simulations. Suddenly, they had a real emergency to deal with. Robbie hit the ball hard. Players shouted out a warning but Stokesy ended up turning his head towards the ball. Scottie Borthwick, his great mate, drove him to hospital and our physio went as well.

"I'll tell you this because Stokesy never would. He phoned Robbie Bowman from his hospital and told him not to worry. He'd have known that Robbie would have been beside himself but Ben said it was his fault. That sums up the sort of bloke Stokesy is."

England Players to Skip PSL 2026 Season

The PSL 2026 auction is scheduled to take place on February 11. However, the availability of England players remains uncertain, as many of them are set to miss the tournament even though they were not selected in IPL 2026.

England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook will not feature in the IPL due to personal reasons. Meanwhile, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith have signed up for PSL 2026 but will not be available due to NOC issues. Jonny Bairstow has also pulled out of the auction because of NOC-related reasons.

Mark Wood is sidelined after suffering an injury during the 2025/26 Ashes tour, which also forced him to miss the last four Tests against Australia. Chris Woakes, who recently played in the Bangladesh Premier League 2025, will skip the PSL 2026 auction.

Woakes has commitments for the entire season, including the County Championship, One Day Cup, and the Vitality Blast. As a result, several leading England players are unlikely to take part in PSL 2026.

Also read: Inzamam-ul-Haq accused India vs USA clash of match-fixing? Reality revealed amid T20 World Cup 2026