- Ben Stokes’ absence from the first Test against Pakistan has been confirmed
- The England captain missed the series against Sri Lanka due to a hamstring injury
- Ollie Pope will serve as captain again following Stokes’ sad injury news
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of Monday’s first Test against Pakistan due to his hamstring tear. He said he was doing everything he could to recover in time for the second match, which starts on October 15.
His absence has allowed England to hand a Test debut to his Durham team-mate Brydon Carse, who hit 90mph during the recent white-ball series against Australia but may struggle to reach those heights in temperatures falling in Multan is expected to reach at least 36 degrees. .
There is also a return for spinner Jack Leach, who has not played for England since the first Test against India in Hyderabad in January and will partner his Somerset colleague Shoaib Bashir.
But Stokes’ absence for the fourth Test in a row will worry the management, with the England captain unable to say for certain whether he would be fit in time for the second match, also in Multan.
“I have tried my level best to get myself fit for this match but I have taken the call to miss this one as I haven’t quite managed to get ready for the match yet,” he said.
Ben Stokes was ruled unfit for England’s first Test against Pakistan on Monday
The England captain has been training with his teammates as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury
With Stokes unavailable, Ollie Pope led England to a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka last month
‘There is a lot involved in my rehabilitation programme. We’ve reached a certain point, but looking at the picture of what’s going to happen and physically where I am now, I’m not quite ready to play yet. It’s always frustrating to miss something.’
Asked if he would be ready for the second Test, he said: “I’m not sure. I pushed myself incredibly hard and worked very hard with the medical team to get where I am today. I think I’m further ahead than we expected. I’m going to work just as hard over the next ten days to get myself fit.’
As against Sri Lanka, numbers 6 to 8 will be filled by Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson, leaving England with a vulnerable lower order.