Stokes injury fear for Test
➤All-rounder breaks finger as the focus turns back to England ➤Rest could prove a blessing for T20 World Cup and Ashes
England’s Ben Stokes will miss the rest of this year’s Indian Premier League after breaking a finger in Rajasthan Royals’ season-opener against Punjab Kings on Monday. He will fly home to recuperate with England hoping he can be fit in time for the opening Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2.
Ben Stokes will miss the rest of the Indian Premier League and England will be worried about his fitness for the first Test against New Zealand on June 2 after he was diagnosed with a broken finger.
Stokes suffered a fracture to the index finger of his left hand while trying to take a catch in Rajasthan Royals’ opening game of the tournament on Monday.
An X-ray yesterday confirmed the fracture and the Royals released a statement yesterday saying he would play no further part in the IPL.
He will undergo another X-ray and probably a scan in India over the next 24 hours. The results will be assessed by the England medical team and a hand specialist in the UK.
Stokes will stay in India with the Royals for another week before flying home to recuperate in his attempt to ensure he is fit for the opening Test of the summer, against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2.
The IPL is due to finish on May 31 and, with the Royals already ruling such a key player out of the whole tournament, it suggests the break is serious.
Stokes would need to prove his fitness for the first Test by playing in the last round of championship matches. Durham take on Essex in a match starting on May 27.
It underlines the risks involved when centrally contracted players appear in franchise tournaments, but with the sums of money on offer in India, there is little England can do but accept that it comes with the territory now.
In a strange way, it is not the worst news for England. A broken finger should heal relatively quickly and not leave lasting damage. Stokes will be forced to rest for the next month at least, opening up an unexpected gap in his schedule in a busy year when he will be expected to spearhead England’s Twenty20 World Cup and Ashes challenge.
The Royals will now look for a replacement player. It is a massive blow for a team who finished bottom last year and narrowly lost their opening match to Punjab Kings on Monday.
They are already without injured paceman Jofra Archer, and a big decision is looming for the England and Wales Cricket Board over its prized fast bowler.
It was announced yesterday that Archer can return to training after minor surgery on his right hand, which he cut when cleaning a fish tank at home.
But it is the state of his elbow that is the bigger worry. He has had two cortisone injections in his right elbow this year alone. He managed to play only two out of four Tests in India, and struggled for pace and rhythm because of his injury.
England now have to decide whether to allow him to play in the IPL or stay at home and rest the elbow further in preparation for a massive year of Test cricket and the Twenty20 World Cup.
“A further update on his elbow injury will be provided once he has returned to bowling to assess the effectiveness of his recent injection,” an England statement read. “No decision has been made as yet on when Archer is due to return to playing.”