England Test captain Ben Stokes has suffered a serious facial injury after being struck by a cricket ball during a training session, prompting concern among fans and the cricketing fraternity.
Stokes shared a photo of his injuries on Instagram, showing a badly swollen right eye, visible grazes on his cheek and lip, and a bandage placed in his nose. Accompanying the image, the 34-year-old wrote with trademark humour: “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”
The former England all-rounder recently led his side during the Ashes series in Australia, where England went down 4-1. The extent of the facial injury and whether it will impact his immediate cricketing or coaching commitments is yet to be clarified.
Stokes is currently recovering from a groin injury he sustained while bowling during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney earlier this month. Despite his ongoing rehabilitation, he remains closely involved with England’s setup.
Stokes, along with former England players Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff, is set to join the England Lions coaching staff for an upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi scheduled for February–March.
Moeen Ali, who recently reversed his retirement from English domestic cricket to represent Yorkshire in the T20 Blast, will also be part of the coaching group. According to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the England Lions coaching staff will additionally include Troy Cooley, Neil McKenzie, Sarah Taylor, Neil Killeen and Amar Rashid.
Jordan Cox and Dan Mousley have been named captains of the England Lions’ T20 and 50-over squads respectively for the tour of the United Arab Emirates. The series will mark England Lions’ first away white-ball tour since their visit to Sri Lanka in February 2022.
Later this year, the Lions are also scheduled to host South Africa A and Sri Lanka in white-ball matches, with further overseas white-ball tours planned as part of England’s player development pathway.