England Test Captain Ben Stokes Suffers Facial Injury During Net Practice Session

London. England Test team captain Ben Stokes was involved in an accident during net practice. He sustained a deep bruise and injury to his face after a ball suddenly struck him on the cheek while he was sitting near the practice session.

Stokes informed about the injury via his Instagram story, writing jokingly, 'You have to look at the state of the ball too.' Stokes was not batting or bowling at the time of the accident; he was observing the practice while standing near the net.

He left the field during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney last month due to a muscle problem and is currently in the rehabilitation process. He is scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi later this month to improve his health. There, he will also work in an informal coaching role with Andrew Flintoff's England Lions team.

Stokes, who has been away from white-ball cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup, is also not part of the T20 World Cup squad starting this week. His next international appearance is likely to be in the home Test series against New Zealand in June. Before that, he is expected to play the County Championship for Durham.

Despite suffering a 4-1 defeat against Australia in the Ashes series, Stokes has stated he is very eager to continue working as Test captain. He has also openly supported coach Brendon McCullum. He clarified that McCullum is an excellent coach and personality and has his full support.