ENG vs PAK: “Would never have played under normal circumstances” – Ben Stokes talks about the ‘ridiculous’ pain he went through during ODIs


ENG vs PAK: “Would never have played under normal circumstances” – Ben Stokes talks about the ‘ridiculous’ pain he went through during ODIs

Ben Stokes

English all-rounder Ben Stokes has revealed that he went through immense pain during the recently-concluded three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan.

ADVERTISEMENT

Stokes was recovering from a finger injury when he was announced as the skipper of the national side, replacing Eoin Morgan. England took the field with their second-string XI as their regular players were under isolation after several positive coronavirus cases were reported in their camp.

The 30-year-old had picked a fracture on his left index finger while playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) during the first phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

“It was a totally unexpected set of games for me and the truth is I would never have played under normal circumstances due to how much pain I was in with my left index finger. The surgery was a success after I had broken it at the IPL, but it was still so painful. Sometimes though you just have to grin and bear it, and captaining England is one of those reasons. The finger has healed structurally, but the pain was just ridiculous for where it should be so that is why I have now had an injection to ease it for the rest of the summer,” Ben Stokes wrote in his column for Daily Mirror.

ADVERTISEMENT

Stokes is hopeful of playing the ‘huge’ Test series against India

Ben Stokes is England’s current vice-captain in the longer format

Ben Stokes is not a part of the ongoing Twenty20 International (T20I) series between England and Pakistan as he’s been given more time to recover. However, the ace all-rounder is expected to be fit and available for the much-awaited maiden edition of The Hundred as well as the five-match home Test series against India.

“I’ve got a bit of a break now, which should give the steroids time to take effect and allow me to play pain-free in the Hundred and then against India. Hopefully, my finger won’t be a problem by the time the India Test series comes around, because that is a huge series and one we are all desperate to perform well in,” he added.

Also Read | IND vs SL: Shikhar Dhawan draws the differentiation line between motivation styles of Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid

Also Read | IND vs SL: “The way Prithvi Shaw plays, it reminds me of someone like Virender Sehwag” – Muttiah Muralitharan

ADVERTISEMENT