- Ben Stokes out for summer with hamstring tear
- Stokes to miss Sri Lanka Test series
- Ollie Pope to lead; Ian Bell joins Sri Lanka as batting coach
The all-rounder will miss the next three-test series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Manchester later this month.
Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, has been ruled out for the rest of the summer due to a torn hamstring.
Stokes, 33, sustained the injury while batting for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday and was later seen on crutches.
The all-rounder had to be helped off the pitch after pulling up while dashing between the wickets.
Stokes will miss England’s forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, which starts on August 21 at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said, “England Men’s Test Captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday.
“Due to the scans performed in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England’s three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka.
The all-rounder plans to return for England’s winter Test tour of Pakistan, which begins in early October. The visit would involve three Tests in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
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Stokes has only recently returned to full bowling responsibilities following surgery on a longstanding left knee problem late last year, bowled 49 overs and taking five wickets in July’s 3-0 series victory over the West Indies.
He pulled out of England’s T20 World Cup defence earlier this year to focus on staying healthy for his role as an all-rounder in the Test team.
Opener Zak Crawley has already been ruled out of the Sri Lanka series due to a broken finger.
Vice-captain Ollie Pope is expected to lead the side in the Sri Lanka series, including games at Lord’s and The Oval.
Ian Bell, a former England hitter, has been appointed Sri Lanka’s batting coach for their tour to England. Bell played 118 Tests for England and scored 22 centuries.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley De Silva stated, “We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local experience to assist the players with important insights into the circumstances there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his contributions will benefit our team on this important tour.”
