England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing Test series against Pakistan due to the calf-injury which he aggravated in the previous match in Manchester.
However, there is still a chance of the 25-year old returning in time for the subsequent limited-overs leg. An England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) official revealed Stokes would “work towards being available for selection for the Royal London ODI series starting later this month.”
He was forced to limp off the field in between a bowling spell during the fourth day of the second Test at Old Trafford. Following a scan on his calf which had indicated a tear, he was given a recovery time of six weeks.
A disappointed Stokes had tweeted, “Devastated about the injury especially with all the hard work put in by myself and others to get me back to fukk fitness. Another couple weeks of rehab and hoping to finish off what has been great summer so far for @ECB_cricket.” (sic)
Even though the lanky Steven Finn replaced him in the third Test, Stokes’ absence could become a major blow to the hosts as he offers batting depth down the order. Skipper Alastair Cook felt that the hard-hitting cricketer’s current injury was linked with his previous one that kept him out of the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka as well.
Having played 25 Test matches, he has established himself as an integral part of the team in all formats and even evoked comparisons with the likes of Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff.
The 5-match ODI series against Pakistan begins on August 24 in Southampton and will be followed by an one-off T20I on September 7. After the culmination of the home season, England have a trip to Bangladesh lined up before they take on India in November.
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