Ben Stokes is taking a break from cricket to focus on his mental health and recover from his finger injury; The off-roader doesn’t have a specific return date in mind, but it is highly unlikely that it will be part of the England Ashes team.
Ben Stokes initially underwent surgery on his broken finger four months ago.
It is highly unlikely that Ben Stokes will be included in the England team for the Ashes this winter after undergoing a second finger surgery.
Stokes announced this summer that he would be taking a break from cricket to focus on his mental health and allow his finger to heal.
He suffered the injury to the index finger of his left hand in April while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
The SUV’s second surgery took place on Monday and had two screws and scar tissue removed.
The Cricket Board for England and Wales said Stokes will now undergo an “intensive period of rehabilitation over the next four weeks” with his medical team.
The 30-year-old is not targeting a specific return date from injury or his layoff, and the Ashes series will begin on December 8 in Australia.
Stokes was not included in the England team for the T20 World Cup, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates in October and November.
The Ashes are expected to move forward after concerns about quarantine restrictions for families eased during positive conversations between England and Cricket Australia players.
The tour, which took place in December and January, was in doubt as several England players had issues over how strict the restrictions would be when they and their families arrived in Australia.
England and Cricket Australia have held a series of talks in recent weeks, which will continue ahead of the Cricket Council of England and Wales (ECB) meeting on Friday.
The ECB said on Monday it would decide this week whether England will tour Australia.
Local reports suggest that players’ families and England staff traveling during the Christmas period will be able to self-quarantine at the Yarra Valley complex in Melbourne.
It is believed that they will not be confined to their rooms and that by mid-November the quarantine period for arrivals to Australia could be reduced from 14 days to seven.
