New Delhi. English team captain Ben Stokes, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, is very upset being away from the game. On being ruled out of the series against Sri Lanka due to injury, Stokes said that the hardest thing for him on the road to recovery is to try to pass the time and avoid boredom.
Stokes was ruled out of the upcoming series on 13 August due to injury. Scans revealed that he injured his left hamstring while completing a quick single for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred game against Manchester Originals. During this, he had to leave the field and was seen walking to the team dugout with the help of crutches.
“I’m feeling good. Obviously better than I have in the past. It’s still early stages of recovery but it’s nice to get in the gym and get a bit of a workout in,” Stokes said on Sky Sports Cricket ahead of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.
“I think the hardest thing for me is trying to fill my time and not get too bored. It’s great to still be around and be involved.”
In his absence, right-handed batsman Ollie Pope has become the 82nd player to captain England in Test cricket. Stokes said Pope would bring the same spirit to the current Test team, although his personality would be different.
“I’m very excited for him. There was a reason to appoint him as vice-captain. I think he has a very good understanding of the game and we’re both very similar in terms of plans. I’ve always found that when he came to me, it was already on my mind,” he said. “He was the obvious choice as captain and I think he has thrived in the number three role and now giving him the vice-captaincy has taken him to another level as a leader. My message was ‘go and do it your way, the way you feel is right’.”
