England’s Test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, has displayed his trademark resilience and humour following an incident that left him with a significant facial injury. The all-rounder shared an image of the aftermath, revealing a heavily bruised and swollen right eye, along with cuts on his cheek and lip.
In a light-hearted social media post accompanying the graphic photo, Stokes quipped about the condition of the cricket ball involved, suggesting it had fared worse than he had.
The 34-year-old has recently returned from a challenging Ashes series in Australia. His return to action is now a focus, with potential appearances for his county side, Durham, in the early stages of the domestic season. This would serve as preparation for England’s upcoming international commitments, which include a Test series against New Zealand beginning in early June.
The injury comes at a time when the national setup is in a period of reflection following their recent tour. The team’s management is concurrently finalising preparations for the imminent T20 World Cup, which begins this weekend.
