Ben Stokes to Miss First Test Against Pakistan Due to Injury
England have suffered a significant setback ahead of their upcoming Test series against Pakistan, as star all-rounder and captain Ben Stokes is confirmed to miss the first Test in Multan. In Stokes’ absence, 26-year-old batter Ollie Pope, who has been informally recognized as the team’s vice-captain, is expected to lead the English side for the opening match.
After a recent training session, Ben Stokes confirmed that he has not fully recovered from the torn hamstring injury he sustained two months ago during The Hundred. Despite hopes of being fit in time, the all-rounder and captain acknowledged that the injury still hampers his ability to compete at full strength, ruling him out of the first Test against Pakistan.
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With Stokes unavailable, Chris Woakes is expected to play his first overseas Test in two and a half years, and his first in Asia since 2016. Brydon Carse is likely to make his Test debut. Notably, the aforementioned Ollie Pope will take on the captaincy for the fourth consecutive match, having led England to a 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka last month.
Stokes began England’s training session by doing shuttle runs for the first 45 minutes alongside strength and conditioning coach Peter Sim. Later, he spent time batting in the nets, facing spin from Rehan Ahmed, local net bowlers, and receiving throwdowns from England’s coaching staff. However, he remains cautious in his approach to recovery.
England are expected to announce their final XI later today. They are likely to include two spinners, with Jack Leach returning for his first international match since January, joining Shoaib Bashir. Gus Atkinson, who has recovered from a minor thigh issue, is also set to play his first overseas Test.