England all-rounder Ben Stokes
England all-rounder Ben Stokes could miss the Ashes series in
Australia after undergoing another operation on his injured finger, the
England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Thursday.
The
30-year-old has not played since July, when it was announced he was
taking a break to focus on his mental wellbeing and to rest his left
index finger.
“Ben Stokes has undergone a second operation on
Monday 4 October to address ongoing issues with the finger that he
injured in the IPL (Indian Premier League) in April,” the ECB said in a
statement.
“Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the index finger of his left hand.
“He
will now undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next
four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team.”
The
operation places his participation in England’s five-Test series in
Australia, scheduled to start in Brisbane on 8 December, in serious
doubt.
Concerns over player welfare and Australia’s strict coronavirus restrictions have led to fears the tour may not take place.
The
ECB is meeting this week to decide whether the Ashes can go ahead, with
reports suggesting there have been positive talks with Cricket
Australia.
Stokes burnished his reputation as England’s talisman
during the 2019 Ashes, when his unbeaten 135 helped England chase a
record fourth-innings target of 359 at Headingley with one wicket
remaining.
The all-rounder announced himself in Test cricket in
the 2013/14 Ashes, scoring his maiden Test century in tough batting
conditions in Perth but Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash.
Stokes
missed England’s last tour of Australia in 2017/18 after his
involvement in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub. He was subsequently
found not guilty of affray.
The tourists missed Stokes’ contributions with bat and ball as Australia eased to a 4-0 series win to regain the urn.
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