England Test captain Ben Stokes has strongly denied allegations that he has been prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches. Stokes took to social media to address the claims, reaffirming his commitment to County Cricket and expressing disappointment over the criticism. The star all-rounder sustained a hamstring injury during a recent The Hundred match between Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals, ruling him out for the remainder of the English summer.
Journalist Criticizes Stokes
Scott Wilson, a journalist for a UK publication, criticized Stokes for what he perceived as a lack of commitment to County Cricket. Wilson accused Stokes of choosing to play in The Hundred, which he referred to as a “circus,” instead of representing Durham in County matches. Wilson posted on X (formerly known as Twitter):
“So Ben Stokes isn’t allowed to play any county cricket for #Durham during the summer, but he’s fine to mess about in the circus that is the Hundred, rupturing his hamstring and ruling him out for the rest of the summer. Utterly farcical.”
Stokes’ Response
Stokes quickly responded to Wilson’s criticism, defending his actions and clarifying that he had played in three County Championship matches for Durham during the summer. He replied to the journalist on social media:
“Chief Sports Writer??? I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year.”
Impact of Stokes’ Absence
Stokes’ hamstring injury means he will miss the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, with Ollie Pope set to captain the side in his absence. Stokes’ absence is a significant blow to England, as highlighted by Moeen Ali, who emphasized the challenge of replacing Stokes’ multifaceted role in the team:
“First of all, once you lose a player like Stokes, you are not only losing a batter, you are losing the captain, losing another bowler – the whole balance of the team is now messed up a bit actually.”
Moeen added:
“Who to bring in, how to balance the side, it is going to be hard work, but I am sure they have already decided or come up with a plan.”
Stokes is now targeting a return to fitness for England’s tour of Pakistan in October. The upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka is set to begin at Old Trafford on August 21.
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