Ben Stokes: England captain ‘ain’t holding back’ despite latest injury
England captain Ben Stokes says he has “no flinch” in his bowling despite suffering a second hamstring injury in five months.
Stokes, 33, limped off the field on the third day of the 423-run loss to New Zealand in the third Test in Hamilton. He will undergo scans on Wednesday.
The 23 balls Stokes bowled on the first day were the most he bowled in a single day. The 36.2 points scored in this game was his highest in more than two years, while the 66.1 points in the series was Stokes’ highest as captain.
“I’m obviously very disappointed but I get stronger with every setback,” Stokes told BBC Sport.
“Without a doubt, I’m going to go out here and work as hard as I always have and get myself back into game shape.”
Stokes’ bowling career has been hampered in 2023 by a long-term left knee problem, for which he underwent surgery a year ago.
He then suffered a hamstring problem for the first time during his hundred in August, causing the Durham man to miss three Tests against Sri Lanka and one against Pakistan.
Stokes admitted the struggle to play Pakistan’s last two Tests had taken a mental toll but looked back on his best performances in his birthplace of New Zealand.
At Hamilton, he bowled his third over on day three and then pulled up in his subsequent over. He was emotional as he left the field and did not play again. It was initially thought he would have a scan before day four, but the results were postponed until after the test.
