Ben Stokes Gives Cheerful Update Following Successful Facial Surgery

England, Feb 11 :  Test skipper Ben Stokes has successfully undergone surgery to treat a facial injury sustained after being struck on the cheek by a cricket ball. The 34 year old shared a light-hearted message on Instagram on Tuesday, writing, “May not look like it… but the surgery was a success.”

Stokes had revealed the injury last week, joking about the impact on social media, saying, “You should see the state of the ball.” Reports confirmed that the all-rounder was not batting or bowling at the time but was standing at the side of a nets session when the accident occurred.

The England captain has been out of action since suffering an adductor injury during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney last month. He has also not featured in white ball cricket since the 2023 World Cup and was not selected for England’s squad in the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Stokes is expected to return to international cricket in England’s home Test series against New Zealand in June, although he may play for Durham in the County Championship beforehand. He is also set to join former teammates Moeen Ali and Andrew Flintoff in the England Lions coaching setup for the white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi in February-March.

England Lions Squads Announced

T20 Squad: Sonny Baker, Luc Benkenstein, James Coles, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox (capt), Scott Currie, Calvin Harrison, Eddie Jack, Saqib Mahmood, Ben McKinney, Tom Moores, Dan Mousley, Matt Revis, Will Smeed, Nathan Sowter, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe.

50-Over Squad: Sonny Baker, Luc Benkenstein, James Coles, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Scott Currie, Calvin Harrison, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley (capt), Liam Patterson-White, Matthew Potts, Matt Revis, James Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe, James Wharton.

The update reassures fans that Stokes is recovering well and maintains his trademark sense of humor even after a significant injury.