Ben Stokes injury 'so much worse than what you think', reveals coach
England Test captain Ben Stokes' return to cricket is delayed due to a serious facial injury sustained in February. Recovering from a fractured cheekbone, Stokes will miss Durham's opening County Championship match. Head coach Ryan Campbell confirmed the injury's severity and Stokes' determination to regain fitness after a challenging Ashes campaign and personal difficulties.
Ben Stokes’ return to competitive cricket has been pushed back, with the England Test captain set to miss Durham County Cricket Club’s opening County Championship fixture against Kent County Cricket Club. The all-rounder is still recovering from a serious facial injury sustained earlier this year. Stokes had suffered the blow in early February when a ball struck him flush on the face while he was standing close to a net session involving Durham’s academy players.
The impact resulted in a fractured cheekbone, and images he later shared on social media showed visible facial damage. Surgery followed soon after the incident. Durham head coach Ryan Campbell confirmed on Saturday that the recovery process is taking longer than initially expected, while stressing how serious the situation could have been.
“[The incident] could have been horrific. So, so much worse than what you think. “A couple of centimetres a different way it hits him in the eye and it could have been different.
“The ball was hit so hard. We are just lucky he got away with it,” he said. The delay comes at a challenging time for Stokes, who recently endured a tough The Ashes campaign where England were beaten 4-1.