Now Reading: England rule out rushing Ben Stokes back after Lord’s loss
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England rule out rushing Ben Stokes back after Lord’s loss
England head coach Chris Silverwood has ruled out rushing Ben Stokes back into the Test side after India thumped the visitors by 151 runs at Lord's on Monday. Silverwood said there is…
England head coach Chris Silverwood has ruled out rushing Ben Stokes back into the Test side after India thumped the visitors by 151 runs at Lord's on Monday. Silverwood said there is no time limit on Stokes' return and stressed that the all-rounder's mental wellbeing comes before his availability for selection.
Stokes took an indefinite break from all cricket last month to prioritise his mental health and to recover from a second operation on his broken left finger. England trail the five-match series 1-0 after the heavy defeat inside four days. The second Test starts on 12 August at the same venue.
Silverwood added that Stokes will only return to the side when he is ready to perform at his best. England have not named a timeline for his comeback.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The ECB does not require its contracted players to play when they are not mentally fit, a position it formalised after the 2021 Ashes when several players withdrew citing burnout. Stokes has been out of red-ball cricket since July, when he tore his left hamstring while batting in The Hundred. England’s next Test is against New Zealand starting 28 November in Christchurch. If Stokes is not fit to bowl by then, England would again field a four-man attack, a setup that conceded 524 runs in India’s only innings at Lord’s. The selectors have not named a replacement captain because Stokes remains their designated leader, Brendon McCullum said in October he expects him to lead the side in the Ashes next year.
Source: gulfnews.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
