Manchester: England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the three-match Test series against Pakistan due to family reasons, the country’s cricket board announced on Sunday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), however, did not specify the exact reasons for his pullout. “Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand. He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement. He will be flying to Christchurch in New Zealand – where his parents Ged and Deb live – later this week. Stokes’ father — a former rugby league international — was hospitalised days ahead of England’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa in December last year, and has since been recuperating at home in New Zealand.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family’s privacy at this time,” the ECB added in its statement.
The 29-year-old Christchurch-born Stokes is a very important member of the England set-up and has produced many match-winning performances in recent years, including his heroics in the 2019 World Cup final and the famous Test hundred against Australia at the Headingley.
Hosts England won the opening Test by three wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series played in a bio-secure environment. Although he couldn’t shine with the bat at Old Trafford, Stokes, who had not bowled after aggravating an injury picked up during the preceding series against the West Indies, played a part in the team’s come-from-behind win by picking up two wickets in Pakistan’s second innings, surprising even some of his teammates with his effort. Stokes has played all four Tests so far this summer.
He captained the team in Joe Root’s absence in the opening Test against West Indies, made a century and a fifty in the second, and took with 11 wickets overall. (PTI)
