England's Test captain, Ben Stokes, recently lashed out at a journalist on X (formerly Twitter) who accused him of prioritising The Hundred over the County Championship. Stokes, while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, sustained a hamstring injury during a match against the Manchester Originals, forcing him off the field.
The injury, which turned out to be more severe than initially thought, has led to Stokes being ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Journalist Scott Wilson criticised Stokes, accusing him of neglecting the County Championship in favour of what he termed the 'circus' of The Hundred. Stokes, visibly frustrated, responded with a sharp retort, defending his commitment to the sport.
For context, Stokes had skipped the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup to focus on regaining full fitness for the English home season. He participated in three Championship matches against Lancashire, Somerset, and Worcestershire. Although his batting performance was modest, he made a significant impact with the ball, taking 25 wickets.
Reports indicate that Stokes is now targeting the Pakistan Test series for his return. In the meantime, Ollie Pope is expected to captain England in the Sri Lanka Tests.
While the usual recovery time for a hamstring injury is about a month, England is being cautious, especially with the crucial Pakistan series on the horizon.