Ben Stokes says he feels fortunate to have avoided worse harm after being struck in the face by a cricket ball while coaching Durham’s academy players in February.
The England Test captain suffered a broken right cheekbone and other facial injuries in the accident and required surgery. He is recovering well and is expected to play two County Championship matches next month as he completes his rehab.
Stokes described the blow as “pretty nasty” but added that the outcome could easily have been far more serious. He said the ball hit him square in the face and that a small difference in angle — or not turning his head — might have led to much worse consequences. Despite needing “pretty major facial surgery” to repair the damage, he said he feels lucky and thankful to be on the mend.
The injury delayed his preparations by around a month and forced him to quickly reorganise his plans to be ready for domestic matches before the Test season. “I’m at the back end of all that now,” he said, calling the episode a “pretty scary situation” but one that he has come through.
Stokes is due to captain England in the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting on June 4. England arrive seeking a fresh start after a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, and Stokes insisted he and head coach Brendon McCullum remain aligned on the team’s aims.
Addressing suggestions of a rift with McCullum, Stokes said disagreement is a normal part of joint leadership. He argued that constant agreement would not be healthy for the team, and that debate helps them reach the best decisions. While he said they agree most of the time, the pair discuss differences until they find the right approach, and he dismissed claims they are unaligned as an overstatement.
In other England news, fast bowler Brydon Carse has withdrawn from the IPL because of an injury to his bowling hand. The exact severity is not yet clear and it is too early to judge his availability for England’s summer fixtures. It is the second consecutive season Carse has pulled out of the IPL without playing for the Sunrisers — last year a toe injury ended his campaign. Carse has not played since the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, where he finished as England’s leading wicket-taker on the tour with 22 wickets at an average of 30.31.