London: Star England all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the Test series against Pakistan after withdrawing from the squad citing family reasons. Stokes will leave for New Zealand where his parents live, next week and will not be available for the two behind-closed-doors Tests in Southampton.
It is understood that Stokes’ father Ged was hospitalised ahead of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa during England’s winter tour, and has since been recuperating back home in New Zealand. “The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family’s privacy at this time,” an ECB statement said.
England’s Test vice-captain, Stokes has played a central role in the summer so far. He led the team in Joe Root’s absence for the opening Test against West Indies, scored a century and a fifty in the second, and has chipped in with 11 wickets despite more recently playing as a specialist batsman.
Ben Stokes will not feature again in the #ENGvPAK Test series, as he flies to New Zealand to be with family.
DETAILS ▶️ https://t.co/VGBSFeSu7y pic.twitter.com/YFPtXVuB7R
— ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2020
Stokes’ absence is likely to give England headaches for the rest of the series. The left-hander scored 0 and 9 in the first Test against Pakistan but again demonstrated his all-round value by coming on to bowl in the second innings and picking up 2/11, as England came back from conceding a 107-run deficit to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Zak Crawley is the likeliest candidate to come into the top order, potentially returning at No.3 and allowing Root to drop back down a place. The return to form of both Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes, whose 139-run partnership was pivotal in securing victory against Pakistan, may also help compensate for Stokes’ absence, with the all-rounder understood to have told his teammates of his decision after the conclusion of the Test on Saturday.
England have called up Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson to add to their options ahead of the second Test against Pakistan, which begins at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday. By the end of August, England will have played six Tests in seven weeks, all under strict bio-security protocols as part of ECB efforts to combat the effect of COVID-19, with only a short break in between the two series.
