Ben Stokes will be absent for the remainder of the English summer after tearing his left hamstring during the Hundred tournament. The injury occurred while he was batting for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on Sunday. Subsequent scans on Tuesday confirmed the severity of the injury, leading to Stokes' withdrawal from the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka, which is set to begin next week at Old Trafford. According to a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stokes hopes to make a comeback in October for the tour of Pakistan.
With Stokes out of the series, Ollie Pope, the team's vice-captain, is set to lead England for the first time in an international match. On Tuesday, the ECB pulled Pope from his Hundred commitments with London Spirit so he could prepare to become England's 82nd Test captain. Stokes will not be replaced in the squad facing Sri Lanka, which may result in Chris Woakes taking up the No. 7 spot as England’s main all-rounder, while Jamie Smith could move up to No. 6. Woakes, who boasts a Test batting average of 70.25 from the No. 7 position, has already proven his worth with a century against India in 2018 and an unbeaten 84 against Pakistan in 2020.
The 35-year-old Woakes has not participated in this season’s Hundred and was withdrawn from the competition on Monday by the ECB to manage his workload, as announced by his team, Birmingham Phoenix.
If England decides to go with a four-man bowling attack, Jordan Cox could be in line for his Test debut. The Essex right-hander was initially named as a backup batter in the original 14-man squad, with Surrey's Dan Lawrence slated to open in the absence of the injured Zak Crawley.
Stokes' injury is a significant setback, especially after his recent return to all-rounder duties. Following a knee issue that heavily restricted his bowling last year, he underwent surgery in November. This summer, the 33-year-old showed promising signs with the ball, taking 18 wickets in three County Championship matches for Durham, along with five more in the series win against the West Indies. However, his progress has now been interrupted after he pulled up while running a quick single last weekend.