In a recent development England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes has revealed that he will be undergoing a knee surgery after the conclusion of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Despite the physical setback, Stokes reassured that this procedure is unlikely to disrupt his leadership and playing role in the England Test squad for their tour of India in January, 2024.
"I will hopefully be fine for the Test series [against India]," expressed Stokes during a press conference in Ahmedabad.
He added, "I am having surgery after the World Cup. There was a lot of time put into deciding when to get it done. The India Test series, which we start at the end of January, I should be fine to go by then."
Stokes humorously admitted to taking a back seat during medical discussions, preferring to entrust the details to his medical team. "When we go to those meetings, we generally take a physio and doctor and they start talking. I just turn up, go to sleep, wake up and hope it is better if they use language that I've never heard before," he shared.
The England Test captain acknowledged the toll his knee injury has taken on his ability to contribute to the team, particularly during the Ashes series, where his bowling was notably restricted. "It's been a big hindrance on me, and affected what I can do for the team. Obviously, that [being an allrounder] is what I want to be doing. You'd hope that it means that I can get back to doing what I've been known for, which is playing a role as a batter, and playing a role as a bowler as well," Stokes further said.
England is slated to begin their India tour on January 25, for a five-match Test series. India have encountered Stokes-led England only once before, with England emerging victorious.
"Obviously it's been a long time coming and obviously I want to get back to what I've been doing prior to the 18 months where I've had this injury. We'll just see how everything goes, see how I respond to the surgery and all the rehab as well. I don't think the surgery is going to have any hindrance on me taking part in the series in India," Stokes concluded.
Notably, England have had a forgetful campaign in the ongoing ODI World Cup as they are sitting at the bottom of the points table with just one win in a total of six matches. Now, Jos Buttler-led England are gearing up for their next World Cup clash against Australia on November 4.
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