England Test captain Ben Stokes has dubbed himself a 'robot' after undergoing his latest hamstring surgery.
Stokes tore his left hamstring during England's final Test in New Zealand in December and will miss cricket for at least three months, putting him out of consideration. ICC Champions Trophy for February.
The 33-year-old has missed four successive Test matches, three at home to Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan, after tearing his hamstring while playing at The Hundred last August.
Stokes took to Instagram on Tuesday to confirm he had undergone surgery, posting a photo of himself stretched out on the back seat of a car supported by a large leg brace and pillows.
In the caption, he wrote, “Bionic Man for a while,” accompanied by a laughing emoji and signed off, “In a little while…”
England will not return to Test action until May 22 when they begin a four-day fixture against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
They will then play India in five Tests later in the summer, starting at Headingley on June 20 and concluding at Kia Oval from July 31.
The role Stokes plays with the ball moving forward will be interesting, with his latest hamstring issue coming amid his 37th ODI against New Zealand, although he said afterwards that he has no plans to slow down.
“I'm not backing down,” he insisted at the time. “With every setback, I come back stronger. There is no doubt that I will walk away from here…and get back to where I was. This is my job.”
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Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain says England are down when skipper Ben Stokes can't bowl and there should be a discussion about his workload.
Sky Sports “There has to be a long-term vision and a realization that England are the team they are because of their captain and they are greatly diminished, whether with an all-rounder or captain, if not,” Nasser Hussain said in December. there.
“If he's not in Australia (in the 2025/26 season), England's chances will go down. Part of leadership is talking to someone and saying: 'We need you.'
“Strengthen his tires and make him realize that England are a better team when he can do all aspects. I thought 37 runs after coming back from such an injury was a huge workload.”
Watch ICC Champions Trophy live Sky Sports From February 19th. England's first match will be against Australia on February 22.