LAHORE: England captain Ben Stokes will undergo a hamstring injury scan next week ahead of their Test tour to Pakistan. The 33-year-old suffered the injury earlier in August and missed the three-match series against Sri Lanka. Despite his injury, Stokes has continued to train and recently took part in the long net at Durham’s Chester-le-Street and played in the Celebrity Pro-Am at the PGA Golf Championship at Wentworth.
The purpose of the scan is to access the all-rounder’s recovery for the first Test, which is scheduled to begin on October 7. Despite the injury, Stokes was included in the 17-man squad. The England men’s team leave for Pakistan on October 1. However, Ollie Pope would deputize as captain in case Stokes is ruled out of the first Test. On the other hand, there is uncertainty surrounding the venue in Pakistan as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to announce the series schedule.
Karachi has been ruled out as a venue for the first Test due to construction work at the National Stadium, and the cricket body is considering hosting the first two Tests in Multan. Due to favorable conditions, two Tests are planned in Multan. However, the next schedule includes holding the first and third Tests in Rawalpindi. The Pakistan-England series schedule should be announced in a few days.
