Ben Stokes gives an update on his finger injury after his second surgery

Ben Stokes, the England all-rounder, has provided an update on his finger injury following successful surgery. Meanwhile, when playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Stokes suffered a finger injury. After that, he took a break from cricket until rejoining the England squad as captain for the series against Pakistan.

Ben Stokes confessed in his Mirror Sport column that he was in excruciating discomfort during the series and would not have played in normal conditions.

“Under normal circumstances, I would never have played because of the pain in my left index finger. The operation went well after I fractured it at the IPL, but it was still excruciatingly painful. There are moments when you just have to smile and take it, and captaining England is one of them. The finger has healed structurally, but the discomfort was unbearable for where it was supposed to be.”

Meanwhile, the renowned all-rounder has been left out of England’s Ashes squad for 2021-22. Coach Chris Silverwood, on the other hand, has stated that he will notify the board when Ben Stokes is ready.

“When Ben is ready, he’ll call me, and we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, making plans as needed. Ben is making progress, and from the conversations I’ve had with him, he appears to be more positive. I’ll follow his lead, and my first concern is for his safety. When he returns, we’ll make certain he’s in the appropriate position and ready to perform.”

Given the projected absences of Stokes, Archer, Stone, and Moeen Ali, who retired from Test cricket last month, Silverwood believes England will be “extremely competitive” after selecting what amounts to a full-strength lineup. Only three of England’s top-order batters have previously played Tests in Australia, and while Root is presently ranked No. 1 in the world by the ICC, Rory Burns is ranked No. 24 in the team.

Stokes’ comeback would benefit England in every way, and it’s not out of the question that he may join the tour at a later date.