Ben Stokes, the new captain of the England cricket team, drew some ire last week. He experienced extreme pain in his right groin area. Stokes was on 39 not out when the incident occurred. He had to receive treatment on the field after being hit a second time while attempting a run off Indian fast Jasprit Bumrah. Stokes grimaced in pain, limping between the wickets to obvious indications of his anguish. He soon turned their second run down, which could have put Joe Root within four runs of a century.
Stokes, 34, returned this year after surgery to repair a torn hamstring. He’s been through a gauntlet of injuries but the big man is finally back in action with an NBA team. This summer, though, he’s done so much more, frequently serving as the fourth seamer in an explosive England bowling attack. He has done so while moving away from those debilitatingly long bowling spells in which he used to conduct his trade.
Ollie Pope, Stokes’ deputy, was open about the need to balance the risk and reward when it comes to Stokes’ fitness. He argued that it is his responsibility to keep Stokes from worsening any possible injury. He refuses to allow him to play if there’s any potential for long-term damage.
“For me, it’s partially one of my roles to make sure he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he’s dealing with at the moment,” – Ollie Pope.
In wake of the incident, England officials said that as of now there are no plans for Stokes to have an overnight scan. Rather, he’ll be evaluated Friday morning. Pope expressed optimism regarding Stokes’ condition, stating, “Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong.”
With an Ashes-winning team set to take on their most important Test match over the next four days, Stokes’ fitness has become even more crucial. Pope was keen to stress the importance of judicious management of Stokes’ fitness with the team’s crowded schedule coming up.
“Clearly we’ve got a big Test over the next four days and a big two coming up. It’s important to try to manage him, and we’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow.” – Ollie Pope.
All those problems aside, England were in a reasonable position at 251-4, Pope calling that a decent spot to be in such a game.
“It’s not necessarily the way we’re used to going about a first innings, but I think 251-4 is a pretty good score at the minute,” – Ollie Pope.
As the team prepares for its next challenge, they remain hopeful about Stokes’ recovery and his ability to contribute significantly to their performance.
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