England's Test captain Ben Stokes has ensured that his focus remains to be red-ball cricket after he missed out on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to hamstring injury. Stokes who is currently focussing on regaining his fitness ahead of five-Test series at home against India is set to miss The Hundred's 2025 edition.
As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, Stokes talked to Northern Superchargers men's team coach Andrew Flintoff before taking the big step.
Last year, Stokes injured his hamstring during The Hundred. As a result, he missed the Test series at home against Sri Lanka and the opening Test on Pakistan tour. Stokes' injured his hamstring again in an inconsequential third Test against New Zealand and required surgery.
Stokes decided to skip England's premier franchise white-ball tournament due to its schedule. The tournament begins on August 5, just a day after the fifth Test ends at Kennington Oval, London. It is a precautionary move to avoid any injury ahead of Ashes 2025-26 on Australian soil which will commence in Perth on November 21.
The Hundred has gone through major transitition after the investment of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Sun Group, who owns Sunrisers Hyderabad, will miss the services of high profile all-rounder Stokes. Mickey Arthur who is Superchargers' new director of cricket will search for Stokes' replacement months ahead of the season. As per reports, South Africa's explosive batter David Miller is on the franchise's radar.
Other high profile players to skip The Hundred
Stokes is now the first prominent England player to pull out of The Hundred's next season. The Birmingham Phoenix all-rounder is set to retire from Engllish domestic cricket as well. There is no clarity whether he will be available to play in T20 Blast knockout stages for Birmingham Bears. He is a player-cum-coach for the T20 franchise.
Before Moeen, it was opening batter Alex Hales who decided to skip The Hundred. Hales will not play for Trent Rockets as he will be representing Knight Riders franchises in Major League Cricket (MLC) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
