England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, will be out of action for the initial month of the county season due to facial injuries sustained during a training mishap. Stokes sustained a broken cheekbone after being struck by a ball during a practice session with his Durham teammates last month. Despite undergoing successful surgery, a photo posted on his Instagram account displaying his severely swollen and bruised face highlighted the severity of the injury.
As a result of the extensive recovery process, Stokes has had to postpone his comeback. The all-rounder, who has been inactive since England’s final game in the Ashes series against Australia in January, had originally aimed to return against Kent in Durham’s opening County Championship match next week. However, it now appears probable that he will miss the first four matches of the domestic season before gearing up for the New Zealand Test series by participating in fixtures against Worcestershire and Kent in May.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell mentioned, “He was gearing up for the first match, putting in a lot of effort to be ready. Unfortunately, he won’t be playing in that. We have to wait for clearance from the specialists. He is scheduled for the matches against Worcester and Kent, and I believe those will be the only ones.”
Campbell expressed gratitude that Stokes escaped further harm given the severity of the injury, stating, “The situation was much more serious than anticipated. The impact of the ball was significant, and we are fortunate that the consequences were not worse. The initial impact was concerning, as a blow to the eye could have been catastrophic. Fortunately, his cheekbone absorbed the impact as intended, safeguarding the rest of him. It serves as a sobering reminder for all of us to stay focused on the game.”
