Ben Stokes Injury Update: The English all-rounder is all set to return to competitive cricket with T20 Blast return for Durham.
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England all-rounder Ben Stokes is all set to return to competitive cricket by representing Durham in the ongoing 19th season of T20 Blast. It is worth mentioning that Durham will host Birmingham Bears at the Riverside Ground tomorrow.
Stokes, who had fractured his left index finger during his Indian Premier League 2021 stint for Rajasthan Royals, had to miss New Zealand Tests and white-ball series against Pakistan. Having played a solitary match in the defunct 14th season of the IPL, Stokes returned to England and hasn’t played competitive cricket since then.
Welcome back to the squad, Stokesy. 🦁👀
Tomorrow, Birmingham Bears (H)
Tickets ➡️ https://t.co/MwfFK9Hy8e pic.twitter.com/KwEPi4nZLL
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) June 19, 2021
The development means that Stokes will return to his club team in the T20 Blast after three years. In 54 T20 Blast matches for Durham, Stokes has scored 1,129 runs at an average and strike rate of 26.88 and 132.20 respectively. Stokes, who has bowled only 29 times in the tournament, has picked 23 wickets at an economy and strike rate of 7.87 and 21.04 respectively.
Ben Stokes Injury Update
It was as recent as this evening that England announced a 16-member ODI squad for a three-match series against Sri Lanka. Stokes was among the four players who missed out on selection due to respective injuries.
However, with Stokes returning to competitive cricket on Sunday, England head coach Chris Silverwood hasn’t ruled out him returning to international cricket during a three-match T20I series against Pakistan next month.
“Several players are not available for selection due to injury. Jofra Archer [right elbow], Saqib Mahmood [abdominal] and Reece Topley [side strain] are all missing, but continue to make excellent progress from their respective injuries.
“We are pleased that Ben Stokes is returning to action with Durham this weekend after recovering from a fractured finger. If everything goes to plan, I hope he could be available for selection for the Vitality IT20 series against Pakistan next month,” Silverwood said in a statement.
It was a month ago when Silverwood had opened up on the prospect of Stokes’ potential return to cricket with a stint for Durham in the T20 Blast.
