Ben Stokes suffers Injury scare ahead of the first Ashes Test
Talismanic England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ return to the Ashes series has been hogging the limelight. He has returned to competitive cricket after taking a break to address mental health issues. However, Stokes suffered an injury to his arm while training on November 28.
The medical staff attended the all-rounder and there are no major concerns as of yet. The first Ashes Test is due to begin on December 8, and Ashley Giles, director of cricket said Stokes is doing well.
The 30-year-old is an integral part of the England team. His contribution in batting and bowling, coupled with his leadership abilities lifts the morale of the team. Although he has not played competitive cricket for a while, skipper Joe Root is happy to have the X factor player back in the team. Giles said, Stokes’ progress will be monitored carefully and steadily.
“Ben seems to be going well and it’s just great having him around. I know Joe Root will be happy having him back in the squad. We’ve still got to be steady with him, he hasn’t played a lot of cricket lately, and, going back to that prep period, it’s not ideal for anyone, but particularly the guys who haven’t had a lot of cricket under their belt. So we’ll just keep building him up,” said Ashley Giles as quoted by The Telegraph.
Giles also added that the all-rounder will be looked after in a steady manner as he has just started to gain full fitness. “I’m hopeful. We’ve just got to treat Ben carefully as we would with anyone else who has been in that position of not having a lot of cricket under their belts. He will be a difficult man to hold back if he is ready to go,” concluded Ashley Giles.