England Test captain Ben Stokes is on the mend following a triumphant surgery for a facial injury sustained in nets. Standing pitchside during practice, he copped a painful hit that necessitated expert medical work.
Via Instagram, the 34-year-old displayed his battle scars with the caption: ‘Doesn’t look it, but surgery success.’ This follows his earlier post detailing the freak accident from last week.
Fresh off an adductor blow in Sydney’s Ashes decider last month, Stokes’ commitment remains solely to the five-day game—no limited-overs since the 2023 World Cup.
Reintegration targets June’s New Zealand series, bolstered by Durham County Championship outings to reclaim peak condition.
Stokes was also lined up for England Lions coaching in Abu Dhabi, partnering Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff against Pakistan Shaheens: three T20s (17 players) and five 50-overs (16 players).
Yet, captaincy demands loom large. England’s Bazball experiment bombed in a 4-1 Ashes thrashing by Australia, casting doubts on Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum’s strategy. The road to redemption starts now.