Ben Stokes, the captain of the England Test team, has mockingly called himself the "Bionic Man" after undergoing surgery to repair a torn hamstring. During England's last 2024 game in New Zealand, Stokes injured his left hamstring, requiring surgery and a three-month recuperation time. Stokes posted a confirmation on Instagram that he had surgery. The England Test skipper shared a picture of himself sitting in the backseat of a car with pillows and a braced leg. The all-round player assured his supporters that he will return to action soon.
Stokes' Instagram post
"Bionic Man for a while. Surgery done. In a bit...." Stokes captioned his Instagram post.
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Stokes recovered to full fitness following a rigorous recovery program, and he played as an all-rounder in the series against New Zealand. However, he was unable to continue in the match after pulling up mid-over with a recurrence of the problem due to the demands of his effort during the last Test in Hamilton. The England team for the forthcoming Champions Trophy has already ruled out Stokes. He has a window of opportunity to concentrate on his recuperation and go back to his best since Test cricket is not scheduled until May.
Stokes on his workload
Stokes said that he will not be holding back or trying to lighten his workload in the upcoming games despite the ailment.
"It's just one of those unfortunate things. I ain't holding back. Every time you walk out on the field you're at risk of injury. You can't play for anything in this game. I'm obviously very disappointed, but every setback I come back stronger. There's no doubt I'll be going away from here, working [hard] as I always do and getting myself back to where I was in this game" Stokes told BBC Sport.