Ben Stokes Unlikely To Play In The Ashes After Second Operation On Broken Finger: Reports
Updated - 07 Oct 2021, 05:39 PM
Superstar England all-rounder Ben Stokes is all but confirmed to be ruled out of the Ashes 2021/22 in Australia as well after he underwent a second operation on his broken finger. Ben Stokes sustained a finger injury while fielding for Rajasthan Royals during an IPL 2021 game in April.
According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Doug Campbell, a Leeds-based consultant who had operated on Ben Stokes’ finger initially, reassessed the cricketer’s finger on Monday, removing the metal screws from the now-healed digit, but also addressing the scar tissue that had been causing “searing” pain around Stokes’ tendons and ligaments.
England’s 2019 World Cup hero took an indefinite break from the sport ahead of the Test series against India at home to tend to his mental well-being and recover from the finger injury.
He did play in a few matches before taking the break. In June, he played for Durham in the T20 Blast, before captaining England during the ODI series versus Pakistan – which England won 3-0 – and participated in two games for The Hundred before pulling out. However, he has not played in any form of the game since July 26.
He then withdrew himself from the India Test series, and then the second half of the IPL 2021, before pulling out himself from the T20 World Cup as well to continue on his mental and physical fitness.
Ben Stokes to undergo rehabilitation for next four weeks: ECB
The ECB put out a statement on Thursday revealing the details of Ben Stokes’ operation and further rehabilitation process.
“England all-rounder Ben Stokes has undergone a second operation on Monday 4th October to address ongoing issues with the finger that he injured in the IPL in April,” the ECB said.
“Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the index finger of his left hand. He will now undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team,” the statement added.
Ben Stokes, who was the key man for England in the 2019 Ashes, is likely to miss this year’s Ashes, which gets underway at Brisbane on December 8. He also missed the 2017-18 Ashes tour in the aftermath of the Bristol nightclub incident.
