England captain Ben Stokes will undergo a scan on his hamstring next week in preparation for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan. The England Cricket Board (ECB) is hoping that Ben Stokes will be fully fit for the three-match Test series, which is scheduled to begin on October 7 in Multan.
The all-rounder picked up a hamstring injury while representing Northern Superchargers in The Hundred 2024. Stokes then missed the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, where Ollie Pope led the England team to a 2-1 victory. He has been working to regain full fitness ahead of the upcoming Test series.
However, the left-handed batsman has been included in the 17-member squad for the series against Pakistan despite the injury. Opening batsman Zak Crawley has also returned to the team after recovering from a finger injury. The England national cricket team will leave for Pakistan on October 1.
Ben Stokes to undergo hamstring scan next week
Ben Stokes will undergo a scan on his hamstring next week as England monitor his fitness. Stokes has continued to train, including a session at Chester-le-Street last week, during his recovery. The scan is a routine check on his progress and is not due to any injury-related setbacks.
Speaking to reporters earlier last month, Stokes said he is doing his best to be fit for the first Test match of the upcoming tour of Pakistan. The Durham all-rounder added that he would take extra time to fully recover rather than risk a more serious setback.
“The recurrence rate for these injuries is 50%, which is quite high. I’d rather take two more weeks than risk doing something potentially worse and then being out of the game for longer,” Ben Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
“I’m just making sure I’m doing everything right and everything I can to try and give myself a chance to be fit for that first test,” he added.
Ollie Pope will continue as captain if Ben Stokes is unavailable for the first Test match in Pakistan. England promoted wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to number six and added an extra bowler against Sri Lanka in Stokes’ absence. The England captain provides balance to the team with both bat and ball.
Pakistan Cricket Board to announce full schedule in two days
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will announce the complete schedule of the three-match Test series against England in the coming days. The matches are expected to be held in Multan and Rawalpindi. According to the latest reports, the first two Test matches are likely to be played in Multan.
Karachi has been ruled out as a venue for the series due to ongoing construction work. The PCB is planning to hold two Tests in Multan to take advantage of local conditions but the exact schedule is yet to be confirmed. There is also a possibility of holding the first and third Tests in Rawalpindi.
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