England captain Ben Stokes is doubtful for the upcoming Pakistan vs England first match scheduled to be played on Monday (October 7) at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The star all-rounder has not played a competitive game since August when he was traded to the Northern Superchargers. He tore up his left hamstring during a tackle against Manchester Originals and had to leave with the injury.
He also missed the entire three-match Test series against Sri Lanka due to injury. In his absence, Ollie Pope led England to a 2-1 series win over the Islanders. While Ben Stokes is expected to be fit in time for the series against Pakistan, that now looks unlikely.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the England captain batted in the nets for nearly half an hour and also bowled a short run. However, he failed to open the series. Pope will continue to lead the side if Stokes runs out.
Replacement for Ben Stokes:
If Ben Stokes is not fully recovered for the first Test against Pakistan, veteran Chris Woakes will replace him. Woakes has featured in all six Tests at home this season, three against the West Indies and three against Sri Lanka.
He scored 11 wickets and scored a fifty against the West Indies. Woakes scored 13 against Sri Lanka and will be eyeing his first Test overseas in over two years.
Although Ben Stokes is doubtful for the series opener, England will take the opener Zach Crawley. The right-handed batsman missed the series against Sri Lanka due to a broken finger. He was asked about Stokes’ potential absence on Friday. In his answer he said:
“We’ve got a really deep squad, a lot of options with the ball and the bat. We feel ready. Whichever team comes out, it’s going to be a nice balance either way.”
“He (Stokes) is doing well, recovering from his injury. We don’t know that yet. I think he has to do a few more tests, but he is doing runs and stuff,” he said.
Meanwhile, England are expected to announce their playing eleven on Saturday (October 5). England whitewashed Pakistan in the three-match Test series on their last visit to the country in 2022 and will be looking to make a strong start in the upcoming series.
