England Test captain Ben Stokes is eyeing a return to competitive cricket in May as he continues his rehab after copping a blow straight to his face during a training session in February. Stokes admitted he was fortunate, as the nature of the injury could have been more grave.
The horrid incident unfolded when he was hit right in the face by an academy player in Durham while he was helping out in the training session. He underwent surgery to repair his broken cheekbone, and it turned out to be a success. His initial plan was to play a host of games for his county team, Durham, in April after recovering from the groin injury he suffered during the New Year’s Test of the Ashes at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January this year.
However, the “freak incident” in February delayed his return to competitive cricket. The 34-year-old intends to participate in Durham’s four-day matches against Worcestershire (starting May 8) and Kent (starting May 15) to work his way back to professional cricket ahead of the English summer.
“I copped one straight in the face,” Stokes said in a pre-recorded interview released by the England Cricket Board on April 15. “[It was] pretty nasty, but funnily [enough], probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest.
“A couple of inches one way or the other and I might not be here doing this interview if I didn’t turn my head around. All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out… I’ve got quite lucky, so I’m pretty thankful for that.” He added: “It was a pretty scary situation to be in, but thankfully I’m still here and everything’s alright.”
Stokes opens up about relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum after Ashes debacle
Stokes and McCullum copped a fair amount of criticism after England’s 4-1 loss to Australia in the Ashes Down Under. Several reports also circulated in the media about a potential rift between the coach and the captain. But Stokes has put an end to all the speculation floating in the air.
“We agree 95% of the time on things, but those 5% things that we might have different views on, we talk about it between each other and then we end up getting to the place where we both feel that we want to get to. Agreeing on every single thing, that’s just impossible. Saying that we weren’t aligned, I think is a massive overstatement,” he added.
