England’s Test captain Ben Stokes is preparing to make a full comeback for the upcoming Test matches against Zimbabwe and India this summer. After undergoing surgery and spending five months recovering from a hamstring injury, Stokes is now fit and ready to play.
The injury first happened during the Hundred tournament last August. Although he returned for England’s Test series against Pakistan in October, Stokes suffered a relapse while playing in New Zealand later that year. Since then, he has been carefully managing his recovery to avoid further setbacks.
Stokes has been working closely with England’s medical team and head coach Brendon McCullum to ensure his fitness is properly managed. England has been training at Loughborough ahead of their first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe, scheduled to start on May 22.
Following this match, Stokes is expected to play in some warm-up games with England Lions against India A, before the highly anticipated five-Test series against India begins on June 20.
While Jos Buttler stepped down as England’s white-ball captain recently, Harry Brook has taken over the role. Stokes is not included in the white-ball squads for the upcoming series against the West Indies but has not ruled out playing white-ball cricket for England in the future.
England’s summer schedule looks challenging, with experienced opponents lined up, but Stokes is ready to contribute once again as a key allrounder for the team.
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