England Test captain Ben Stokes has opened up about the frightening training incident that left him with a broken cheekbone, admitting he feels fortunate to have avoided a far more severe outcome. The all-rounder was struck in the face by a cricket ball while coaching Durham academy players in February, an event he describes as "pretty scary."
Speaking in an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stokes revealed the fine margins involved. "I copped one straight in the face," he said. "Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview." He underwent what he termed "pretty major facial surgery" but considers the result, given the circumstances, to be the "best result of a bad situation."
The injury disrupted his pre-season preparations, forcing a revision of his plans. "It set everything back about a month," Stokes explained. His focus is now on returning for two County Championship matches with Durham next month to build fitness ahead of England's Test summer.
Stokes and McCullum: United Front
In the same interview, Stokes forcefully refuted suggestions of a rift with England's head coach, Brendon McCullum, following the team's 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia. Dismissing the talk as a "massive overstatement," Stokes outlined the importance of healthy debate within their leadership partnership.
"When you're in a position of leadership with someone else, if anyone thinks you're always going to agree on everything, then it's just impossible," Stokes stated. "To me, that isn't a healthy environment for sport... You need debate. You need discussions."
He estimated that he and McCullum agree "95 per cent of the time," and that their shared goal of success guides them through any differing opinions. "For the five per cent where we have different views, we talk it through and end up getting to where we want to be," he added.
Injury Update: Carse Withdraws from IPL
In other England injury news, fast bowler Brydon Carse has withdrawn from the Indian Premier League due to an injury to his bowling hand. The severity is not yet clear, casting uncertainty over his availability for the start of England's international summer. This marks the second consecutive year Carse has pulled out of the IPL without playing a game for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Injury: Broken right cheekbone & facial injuries (Feb)
Status: Post-surgery, targeting Durham return
Next Target: Lead England vs New Zealand (June 4)
Key Takeaways
- Ben Stokes suffered a broken cheekbone in a training incident but feels "lucky" the injury wasn't more severe.
- He is on track to play County cricket next month to prepare for England's Test summer.
- Stokes has firmly denied any rift with coach Brendon McCullum, calling such talk a "massive overstatement."
- Fast bowler Brydon Carse has withdrawn from the IPL with a hand injury, his status for the summer is unclear.
- England's first Test of the summer is against New Zealand at Lord's beginning June 4.
England will be hoping for a full-strength squad as they look to bounce back from their Ashes disappointment, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand live on Sky Sports from June 4.
