Stokes set for competitive return after recovering from injuries
England skipper Ben Stokes is set to return to competitive cricket during Durham’s County Championship match against Worcestershire.
England skipper Ben Stokes is set to return to competitive cricket during Durham’s County Championship match against Worcestershire.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes is targeting a return to competitive cricket next month after recovering from a facial injury sustained during a training session in February, an incident he admits could have been far more serious.
England skipper Ben Stokes has made it clear that his working relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum remains firmly intact, even if the way they operate together continues to evolve following England’s difficult The Ashes tour of Australia.
Ben Stokes has been out of cricketing action since leaving the field due to an adductor injury during the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney last month.
England captain Ben Stokes labelled the Boxing Day Test win at the MCG a “pretty special feeling” after his side finally brought an end to a 15-year wait for a Test victory on Australian soil.
He succeeds right-handed batter Joe Root, who resigned from the role in April this year, in becoming the 81st captain of the England men's Test team.
A report in iNews said that England men's cricket's new managing director, Rob Key had travelled to Durham for a "face-to-face" meeting with Stokes to "discuss the role", and that the 30-year-old all-rounder could be officially unveiled as England's new Test skipper "in the next 48 hours".
Stokes has been heavily linked with the vacant England Test captain's position and has spoken about the role as well following his friend and teammate's decision to step down
Eoin Morgan, who played a Test match in February 2012 against Pakistan at Dubai, has backed Stokes to take the role of captaining England in the longest format of the game.
England have a challenging summer Test season ahead of them beginning with the three-Test series against New Zealand from June 2 and Anderson and Broad could play a vital role in the series if selected.