Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England’s first Test against Pakistan as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained earlier this year. Ollie Pope will once again take on the captaincy for the Multan Test starting October 7, after doing the same during the Sri Lanka series.
The 33-year-old hasn’t played since early August, though England had stated 10 days ago that he was “on track” for this tour. The all-rounder mostly trained separately from the squad before batting in the nets in Multan on Saturday, later confirming he would sit out the Test starting Monday.
“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this game, but have taken the call to miss this one because I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready,” Stokes told BBC Sport.
“There is a lot that has to go into my rehab program. We got to a certain point, but looking at the picture of what we’ve got coming up and physically where I’m at, I’m not quite ready to play.
🚨 Injury setback for England: Ben Stokes to miss the first Test in Multan due to a torn hamstring. 🏏 pic.twitter.com/jRjuGCxHJi
— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) October 5, 2024
Stokes will now shift his focus to the second Test, also taking place in Multan. With a packed schedule of three consecutive Tests, the second match is set to begin in just 10 days, on October 15.
Meanwhile, Chris Woakes is set to play his first overseas Test in two and a half years, and his first in Asia since 2016 with Jack Leach also making his return to the XI for the first time since the India tour earlier this year. The visitors, who remain in contention for an outside chance at qualifying for the World Test Championship final, have also included fit-again opener Zak Crawley in the squad.
England pacer to make debut against Pakistan
England are poised to give fast bowler Brydon Carse his Test debut. The 29-year-old was suspended in May for placing 303 bets on various cricket matches between 2017 and 2019, though none involved games he participated in. Despite the ban, Carse retained his two-year England central contract and returned to the national team for the white-ball series against Australia in September. Born in Cape Town, he has represented England in 19 ODIs and four T20s.
“He’s got those balls in him that, out of nowhere, on the flattest of wickets, you can make something happen… He offers a huge amount to the squad.” Joe Root said on Brydon Carse.
Carse brings the express pace to the England team, along with useful contributions with the bat, having scored two first-class centuries. He has been selected over his Durham teammate Matthew Potts and Olly Stone. Known for his blistering pace, Carse regularly touches 145km/h, earning him huge praise from the Three Lions faithful.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
