England cricket captain Ben Stokes is reportedly “on track” to participate in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, which is set to begin in just 12 days. Stokes, who has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred at the start of August, underwent a scheduled scan on his injury on Wednesday, and the results have indicated a positive recovery trajectory.
According to an official statement from the England cricket team, the scans confirmed that Stokes’s recovery remains on track, allowing him to potentially lead his team in the highly anticipated three-Test series starting in Multan on October 7. The England squad is scheduled to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday, ramping up preparations for the series.
Stokes’s absence was notably felt during England’s recent 2-1 defeat against Sri Lanka, where Ollie Pope stepped in as captain. Despite the encouraging news regarding his hamstring injury, there remains uncertainty about Stokes’s ability to bowl early in the tour. When questioned about his bowling capabilities for the first Test, Stokes responded cautiously, emphasizing that he has spent the past six-and-a-half weeks primarily focusing on rehabilitation and that he still has significant work to do before he can bowl. “There’s a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling,” he explained. “I need to ensure that everything is right to avoid any damage to other parts of my body.”
Stokes further elaborated on his recovery, stating, “I have my six-and-a-half week scan tomorrow and we’ll know more from that, but I am feeling good. It was a hamstring tear which sneaked into my tendon. That’s why it takes a week or two longer than a normal hammy. Rehab has gone really well, so hopefully everything tomorrow gets the all-clear, and I can start pushing it a bit more.”
In Stokes’s absence during the Sri Lanka series, England made tactical adjustments, shifting wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to the number six position and including an additional bowler in the lineup. If Stokes is only able to bat, the England selectors will face a dilemma regarding his positioning in the batting order. The team could either choose to bat him in the top five, thus excluding one of their regular top-order players, or revert to a strategy of fielding four frontline bowlers, supplemented by Joe Root’s off-spin, a tactic they successfully employed when Stokes was unable to bowl due to a knee injury earlier this year.
England’s last tour to Pakistan in 2022 was a resounding success, with the team achieving a 3-0 clean sweep, marking the first time a visiting side had accomplished such a feat in the country. As the countdown to the series continues, the return of Ben Stokes could play a crucial role in England’s efforts to replicate or even improve upon that performance against a formidable Pakistani side.
