Multan [Pakistan], October 5 (ANI): Star England batter Ben Stokes opened up about missing the upcoming first Test match against Pakistan in Multan, stating that he tried his hardest to get himself fit for the game.
Stokes was ruled out of the Multan Test on Monday after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. In his absence, wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Pope will lead the Three Lions in the first Test.
Stokes suffered the injury during *The Hundred* tournament in August, which also ruled him out of England’s 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka. Ollie Pope had led the team during that series as well.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes explained that he had to make the difficult decision to miss the first Test. He also mentioned that there is still a lot left in his rehabilitation program.
“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this first game, but I’ve made the call to sit this one out. I haven’t quite managed to get game-ready. There’s a lot that has to go into my rehab program. We reached a certain point, but looking at the bigger picture of what’s coming up and where I am physically, I’m not quite ready to play,” Stokes said.
The 33-year-old added that it was frustrating to miss out on the game.
“It’s always frustrating to miss out. I’ve got some good things to focus on, so even though I’m not playing, I’ve got a goal in mind. I’ve got a good 10 days to get myself ready for the second Test,” he added.
The first Test is scheduled to begin on October 7 in Multan, followed by the second Test on October 15, also in Multan. The final Test will be held in Rawalpindi from October 24 to 28.
England’s playing eleven for the Multan Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir. (ANI)
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