Ben Stokes ruled out of remainder of summer, Ollie Pope to captain England
London: England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after tearing his left hamstring during The Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Tuesday.
Stokes sustained the injury while playing in the Hundred for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on Sunday. As he sprinted for a quick single early in the Superchargers’ chase, he pulled up injured after completing the run and collapsed, clutching his left leg. He was helped off the field and later returned to the team dugout on crutches.
“As a result of the scans conducted in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England’s three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday, August 21. There will be no addition to the squad for this series,” the ECB said in a statement.
In Stokes’s absence, Ollie Pope will captain England in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
The all-rounder is aiming to return for England’s winter Test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in early October. The tour includes three Test matches in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
After recovering from surgery on a left knee injury that had hindered his bowling, he seemed to return to full fitness this summer. Stokes chose to skip the Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup to focus on his recovery, and then led England to a 3-0 series victory over the West Indies, claiming five wickets at an average of 34.20 across three Tests.
However, during The Hundred, he played three matches for Northern Superchargers, scoring only four runs and taking no wickets.
England will host Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford from August 21-25, followed by matches at Lord’s and the Oval.