England captain Ben Stokes is 'on track' to participate in the Test series in Pakistan following scans on his hamstring injury conducted on Wednesday.
Stokes was sidelined for England's recent Test series against Sri Lanka due to the hamstring tear sustained while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on August 11. Ollie Pope took over as Test captain, leading England to a 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka. However, Stokes is expected to reclaim his captaincy role against Pakistan, given the positive results from his recent scans.
England is set to depart for Pakistan next week for a three-match Test tour, which commences in Multan on October 7. 'England Men's Test captain Ben Stokes today underwent planned scans on the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka,' the England and Wales Cricket Board stated on Wednesday. 'The results of the scans were positive and confirmed that his recovery, since sustaining the injury six-and-a-half weeks ago, remains on track to participate in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.'
Despite being ready to lead England in Pakistan, there are concerns about Stokes' ability to bowl during the early stages of the tour. Speaking to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Stokes was asked if he would be able to bowl in the first Test and replied, 'I think that's you getting ahead of yourself. Obviously, I've been six-and-a-half weeks now of just walking and doing stuff in the gym. There's a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling.'
