Ollie Pope to steer England as Ben Stokes dominated out of Check collection vs SL, southpaw would possibly return vs PAK

England Test captain Ben Stokes has suffered a major setback after tearing his left hamstring during a men’s Hundred match. The all-rounder, the enigmatic English skipper, will be sidelined for the remainder of the English summer, including the ensuing Test series against Sri Lanka.

Hamstring injury rules out Stokes

The injury occurred while Stokes was batting for Northern Superchargers on Sunday (August 11). He was later seen on crutches, raising concerns about the severity of the issue. Subsequent scans confirmed a hamstring tear, ruling him out of the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Recently, SLC also named Ben Stokes’ former teammate Ian Bell as their batting coach.

Stokes was a pivotal figure in England’s Test resurgence, and his absence is a significant blow to the team. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy duties for the Sri Lanka series.

Stokes to return vs Pakistan

After the three Tests against Sri Lanka, England don’t have any Tests remaining as far as their summer is concerned. They are scheduled to have three T20Is and five ODIs against arch-rivals Australia. However, after inviting Sri Lanka and Australia, England will travel to Pakistan for three Tests. Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi will host the matches, where Stokes will eye his return to lead the Three Lions.

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