England captain Ben Stokes is uncertain for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a suspected hamstring injury during a domestic match on Sunday. Stokes injured himself attempting a quick single while playing for the Northern Superchargers against the Manchester Originals in The Hundred competition at Old Trafford. He was seen on crutches before watching the Superchargers win by seven wickets.
Stokes is scheduled for scans on Monday to assess the injury’s severity. Teammate Harry Brook expressed concerns about Stokes’ availability for the first Test in Manchester starting August 21. Brook stated, “It doesn’t look great unfortunately, but he’ll be getting a scan tomorrow to see how he is.”
If Stokes is unavailable, vice-captain Ollie Pope may lead England, who aim to gain points for the ICC World Test Championship final. England recently moved to sixth place in the standings after a 3-0 series win over the West Indies.
Stokes had returned to bowling during the West Indies series after injuries limited his bowling in previous series. Following the Sri Lanka Tests, England will travel to Pakistan for a three-match series in October.
England Squad to Face Sri Lanka: Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Series Schedule:
- First Test: Old Trafford, August 21-25
- Second Test: Lord’s, August 29-September 2
- Third Test: The Oval, September 6-10
