Ben Stokes illness: The English captain has skipped a training session a couple of days before the third Test match of the summer.
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The third Test match of the ongoing New Zealand’s tour of England will be played in Leeds from June 23. With England already winning the first two Test matches, they have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
A rare eight-day break between two Test matches should witness two rejuvenated teams locking horns against each other from Thursday. New Zealand, who haven’t been able to restrict the hosts to chase down targets in both the matches, face COVID-19 challenge within their squad in addition to their players yet to perform according to their potential on this tour.
What a day….@TrentBridge thank you for doing what you did,thank you to everyone who turned out,you got us going…….. Test Cricket is MIIIIIIIIIIINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) June 14, 2022
Ben Stokes illness
England Test captain Ben Stokes was out of action as far as training at the Headingley was concerned today. Stokes, 31, opted to skip a training session due to an illness. Having said that, the exact nature and extent of the same remains unknown for now.
While Stokes has returned a negative COVID-19 test, there have been reports of ECB (England Cricket Board) and the team management confident about their skipper returning to training on the eve of the match tomorrow.
Having just ushered in a new era under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England wouldn’t want their captain to sit out in only the third match. Readers must note that Stokes possesses of an incredible record in Leeds Tests scoring 348 runs at an average of 58 including two centuries and a half-century.
In four innings this series, Stokes has scored 176 runs at an average of 58.66 including a couple of half-centuries. Other than his leadership and batting, Stokes has also picked three wickets in the series.
Assuming that Stokes has to sit out in this match, England will have to find a new captain for they haven’t named an official vice-captain in this squad. In such a situation, uncapped Yorkshire batter Harry Brook will take Stokes’ place in the middle-order.
