PAK vs ENG: Ben Stokes ruled out of first Test against Pakistan

England skipper Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan, set to begin from Monday at Multan Cricket Stadium.

England’s Test team skipper Ben Stokes during a practice session. | Photo Credit: AP

England skipper Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan, set to begin from Monday at Multan Cricket Stadium.

Stokes, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury, will be replaced by Ollie Pope as England captain for the first Test.

“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this game, but have taken the call to miss this one because I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready,” Stokes told BBC Sport.

“There is a lot that has to go into my rehab programme. We got to a certain point, but looking at the picture of what we’ve got coming up and physically where I’m at, I’m not quite ready to play. It’s always frustrating to miss out. I’ve got some good things to focus on, so even though I’m not playing I’ve got a goal in mind,” he added.

Moreover, Stokes was not sure if he would play the second Test, also in Multan, starting on October 15.

“I’ve pushed myself incredibly hard and worked really hard with the medical team to get to where I’m at now. I think I’m further ahead than what we expected. I’ll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try to get myself fit for the second Test,” he said.

(With inputs from Reuters)