Stokes called up as England challenge India
BEN Stokes has been called up for England’s one-day international series against India as the all-rounder returns to the squad following a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old has not played an ODI since March but is hoping to prove his fitness and will play for Durham Jets in their Vitality Blast 20-over match with Yorkshire Vikings on July 5.
Stokes will look to seize his chance playing for Durham, with the England and Wales Cricket Board confirming he could be drafted in for the third and final T20 international meeting with India ahead of the ODI series.
He missed the recent 5-0 whitewash against Australia after injuring his hamstring ahead of a Test against Pakistan in June but will be keen to work his way back into a winning side.
Fellow all-rounder Chris Woakes has not been included in the initial 14-man squad but may still feature later in the three-match series if he recovers from knee and leg injuries in time.
Surrey’s Tom Curran was the other injury doubt having suffered a sidestrain against Australia but he makes the squad – with brother Sam missing the cut along with Sam Billings of Kent.
The series gets under way on July 12 at Trent Bridge, with Lord’s and Headingley hosting the second and third matches, respectively.
A five-Test series will follow but focus will be on the short forms in the coming weeks with the likes of Stokes and Woakes potentially making their comebacks.
Meanwhile, England paceman Stuart Broad will undergo a scan on an ankle injury he exacerbated while playing for Nottinghamshire in the Specsavers County Championship.
Broad did not return to the field for the final two sessions as Worcestershire salvaged a Division One draw at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
The complaint will be assessed but, with a five-match Test series against India a little over a month away, Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores believes the problem is “manageable”.
“Stuart’s sore ankle has been ongoing and it was stirred up a little bit when he landed in the footholds, so it made sense for him to come off the field when it was too sore for him to bowl,” Moores told the club’s official website.
“It is manageable, but he has a lot of cricket to play in the rest of the summer. He will have a scan on it this morning.
“It was disappointing for him because he was desperate to get out there and was prowling around the dressing room, but injuries are injuries and you have to take heed of them.”
Durham have bolstered their bowling stocks ahead of the Vitality Blast by signing South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir for their first nine fixtures.
Tahir, who is placed in the top 10 of both the one-day and Twenty20 international bowling rankings by the International Cricket Council, will be available for Durham’s opener against Yorkshire on July 5.
The 39-year-old has played in a number of domestic T20 leagues and last year represented Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, where he took 17 wickets in 14 matches.