- Ben Stokes took his turn while batting for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred
- The 33-year-old punched himself in pain on his leg before being carried off the field
- England will face the Sri Lankans in three matches spread over just 21 days
Ben Stokes looks set to miss England’s opening Test match against Sri Lanka later this month, and possibly the entire series, after sustaining a serious hamstring injury during a Hundred match on Sunday night.
Stokes, 33, has been a regular fixture since becoming England captain in mid-2022, but that 26-game run looks set to end after he left the pitch at Emirates Old Trafford in a heartbroken manner 10 days before the Test match at the same venue.
He was playing for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals, but was forced to retire after receiving a leg bye on the twelfth ball of the second innings. He fell to the grass, clutching the back of his left knee, which had undergone surgery in December last year, and threw his gloves away in frustration.
Stokes also hit himself on the leg while being treated by the Superchargers medical team, after which he limped off the field and was taken to the pavilion on a stretcher.
England face the Sri Lankans in three matches over just 21 days, leaving their further participation this summer uncertain. The Test tour of Pakistan begins in the first week of October.
Ben Stokes (centre) is expected to miss England’s first Test match against Sri Lanka later this month
Stokes retired while batting for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals
Ollie Pope is England vice-captain and would be the logical choice to lead the team in Stokes’ absence.
When asked by Mail Sport recently about the possibility of him having to lead the team in the event of Stokes’ injury between now and the end of 2024 – the three Tests in Pakistan are followed by another three in New Zealand – Pope said: ‘If I had to do that I would be quite clear about how I want to approach it.’
The 26-year-old Pope has little captaincy experience but was Surrey’s replacement earlier this summer when regular Twenty20 captain Chris Jordan was away on international duty.
“I said sometimes I’d make the right decision and I’d be unlucky, and sometimes I’d make the wrong decision and I’d be lucky,” Pope said.
‘For me it’s important to have the right attitude once you’ve made a decision and stick to it.’
Stokes also suffered a finger injury three years ago, when he last played in the Hundred, which ruled him out of the Ashes the following winter.
Ollie Pope is England’s vice-captain and would be the obvious choice to lead the team
He was examined in the dressing room last night and further checks are being carried out today to determine the extent of the damage.
England have already lost Zak Crawley for the rest of the home season with a broken finger, with Dan Lawrence set to make his first Test appearance.
However, Stokes’ absence would further upset the balance of the team as he had a successful knee operation last year which allowed him to feature as an all-rounder in the 3-0 win over West Indies.