Ben Stokes to miss county season start following broken cheekbone
England captain Ben Stokes will miss the first month of the county cricket season as he continues his recovery from a broken cheekbone sustained during a training accident.
The 32-year-old suffered severe facial injuries, including cuts and bruising, after being struck by a ball in the nets at Chester-le-Street last month.
Although the all-rounder declared his subsequent surgery a success, the required rehabilitation period has forced a delay to his scheduled return to domestic action.
Delayed comeback for the national skipper
The influential left-hander has not featured competitively since the final match of a bruising 4-1 Ashes defeat to Australia in January.
He had originally intended to make his comeback for Durham against Kent in the opening round of the County Championship next week.
Medical specialists have instead ruled him out of the first four matches of the English summer.
A return is now pencilled in for May, where he is expected to face Worcestershire and Kent in preparation for the upcoming New Zealand Test series.
Cheekbone impact prevented catastrophic injury
Durham head coach Ryan Campbell revealed the training strike from academy prospect Robbie Bowman was incredibly powerful and could have caused permanent damage.
“The initial whack was bad and if it hits him in the eye, it could have been horrific.”
Ryan Campbell
The Australian coach noted that his star player’s cheekbone successfully absorbed the impact, caving in to protect the rest of his face.
Campbell admitted the traumatic incident has understandably left the veteran cricketer slightly flinching at high-speed deliveries during recent net sessions.
Ashes disappointment driving recovery
When the talismanic leader eventually returns to the crease, Durham expect him to use the disappointing winter campaign in Australia as powerful motivation.
“He has a lot to prove and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the Ashes didn’t go so well.”
Ryan Campbell
The coach described the national captain as a deeply proud competitor who is utterly determined to ensure England remain a dominant force in world cricket.
“He is going to train his arse off and is going to come back as the best all-rounder in the world that we know he can be,” Campbell concluded.
