Ben Stokes Injures Hamstring, Misses Rest of Summer

Ben Stokes tore his left hamstring while playing in The Hundred, ruling himself out for the rest of the summer. Stokes sustained the injury during a match for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals, leaving him on crutches and unable to participate in England’s upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka, which starts on 21 August. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the team in Stokes’ absence.

At 33, Stokes had only recently regained full fitness after surgery on a left knee injury that previously hindered his ability to bowl. He chose to miss the Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup to focus on recovery and later guided England to a 3-0 Test series win over the West Indies. Despite this, his participation in The Hundred ended abruptly after just three games, where he scored only four runs and took no wickets.

Stokes now aims to return for England’s three-Test tour of Pakistan which begins on 7 October. Former England captain Michael Vaughan acknowledged Stokes’ absence as a “big blow” for both the player and the team. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew expressed disappointment, noting how Stokes had “transformed” himself this summer by regaining his bowling abilities.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided not to add anyone to the squad for the Sri Lanka series, despite other injuries, including opener Zak Crawley’s broken finger and fast bowler Dillon Pennington’s hamstring injury. The ECB called up uncapped batter Jordan Cox and recalled Olly Stone. England must now decide how to replace England needs to decide on a replacement for Stokes at number six.

Options include moving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith up the order or debuting Jordan Cox in the middle order. Australian Ben Dwarshuis will replace Stokes for the remainder of The Hundred.