England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the remainder of the summer with a torn hamstring.
The 33-year-old suffered the injury while batting for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday and was later seen on crutches.
Stokes will miss England’s upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on 21 August.
A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “England Men’s Test Captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday.
“As a result of the scans conducted in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England’s three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday, 21 August.
“The all-rounder is aiming to return for England’s winter Test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in early October. The tour includes three Test matches in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.”
Vice-captain Ollie Pope is set to step up and lead the side for the three-test series against Sri Lanka before the squad travels to Pakistan for three more tests starting at Multan in October.
Former England batter Ian Bell has been appointed Sri Lanka’s batting coach for their tour of England. Bell played 118 Tests for England, scoring 22 centuries.
“We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his inputs will help our team in this crucial tour,” said Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley De Silva.
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