(Source X)
England Test captain Ben Stokes recently took to social media to criticize a journalist who accused him of favoring The Hundred over County Championship games. Stokes vehemently denied these claims, emphasizing his dedication to participating in County Championship matches.
Stokes sustained a significant hamstring injury during a game between the Northern Superchargers and the Manchester Originals in The Hundred Men’s 2024. Scans confirmed the severity of the injury, leading to the England captain being ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Played 3 Championship Games For Durham – Ben Stokes
Scott Wilson, a writer for a UK publication, has criticized Ben Stokes for allegedly prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches.
Wilson described The Hundred as a “circus” and labeled the situation as “utterly farcical,” arguing that Stokes was given the opportunity to participate in The Hundred while neglecting County Cricket.
“So Ben Stokes isn’t allowed to play any county cricket for #Durham during the summer, but he’s fine to mess about in the circus that is the Hundred, rupturing his hamstring and ruling him out for the rest of the summer. Utterly farcical,” Scott Wilson wrote X (formerly known as Twitter).
In response to the criticism, Stokes pointed out that he had played in three County Championship matches for Durham over the summer.
“Chief Sports Writer??? I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year,” Stokes replied.
The 33-year-old opted out of the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup to focus on regaining his fitness for the English summer. During that period, he participated in three County Championship matches against Somerset, Lancashire, and Worcestershire. Although his batting performance was underwhelming, he made a significant impact with the ball, claiming 18 wickets at an average of 18.83, including a five-wicket haul.
Team Is Now Messed Up A Bit – Moeen Ali
Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali remarked that Ben Stokes’ absence will impact not just the batting but also the captaincy and bowling aspects of the team. Ali also noted that the team management has probably developed a strategy to manage the situation effectively.
“First of all, once you lose a player like Stokes, you are not only losing a batter, you are losing the captain, losing another bowler – the whole balance of the team is now messed up a bit actually,” Moeen said.
“Who to bring in, how to balance the side, it is going to be hard work, but I am sure they have already decided or come up with a plan,” he added.
Veteran England all-rounder Moeen Ali remarked that Ben Stokes’ absence will impact not just the batting but also the captaincy and bowling aspects of the team. Ali also noted that the team management has probably developed a strategy to manage the situation effectively.
Ben Stokes will be sidelined for the remainder of the summer season due to a recent hamstring injury, missing his first Test series as England’s captain. He will focus on recovering in time for the tour of Pakistan, where England is scheduled to play three Test matches starting in October.
In Stokes’ absence, young batter Ollie Pope will step in as captain for the Test series against Sri Lanka. The series kicks off at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on August 21, with the remaining two matches taking place at Lord’s and The Oval in London.
