Match-winning England all-rounder Ben Stokes has gone through yet another surgery on his injured finger, which has all but made him unavailable for the Ashes, but boosts his chances of a faster return.
Rajasthan Royal cricketer, who went on leave indefinitely for mental health reasons after opting out of the recent Test series against India, injured his finger in a fielding effort during the first leg of the Indian Premier League.
Medical expert Doug Campbell, after an examination of Stokes’ injured finger on Monday, carried out a procedure to remove the scar tissue that was causing the all-rounder severe pain, in addition to also removing the metal screws that were put in place.
Stokes, who did play for Durham in the T20 blast in June, was also surprisingly called up for the Pakistan ODI series in July, after a majority of the England squad went into isolation following a Covid-19 upsurge.
The 30-year-old led an inexperienced England squad, which also included nine uncapped players, taking them to a resounding 3-0 win over the Pakistan national side. During the series, he had to be administered pain-killing injections in order to be able to participate.
Stokes was notably nursing the injured finger during his brief appearance for the Northern Superchargers in the inaugural edition of the Hundred, hosted by the ECB. He has not been part of any cricketing action since late July, as the World Cup-winning all-rounder sought time off to deal with mental health issues, and also to allow his injured finger to heal fully.
In September, it was also announced that Stokes would not feature in the England squad for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup in UAE. A decision on whether The Ashes will take place is expected this week, and it is very unlikely that the New Zealand-born all-rounder will be in the squad, having previously also missed the 2017-18 Ashes as well.
As per The Mirror, Stokes’ surgery has been a “huge success”, and that also puts him on the fast track for his eventual return to action.
The England Cricket Board also confirmed the news of Stokes’ procedure, stating that the all-rounder would now “undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team”.
The Ashes kicks off in Brisbane on December 8, giving Stokes less than two months to recover from surgery. The all-rounder also posted a picture on social media on Wednesday along with his wife, showing a heavily taped finger.
