In a significant blow to England cricket, Test captain Ben Stokes has been sidelined for three months after suffering a recurrence of his torn left hamstring during the third Test against New Zealand last month. This injury has ruled him out of all formats of the game, adding to the long-standing concerns about his fitness.

Stokes was forced to leave the field on day three of the third Test between England and New Zealand, and it was soon confirmed that he had torn the same hamstring that had previously troubled him in August. At that time, he had injured it while playing for Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred against Manchester Originals.

The severity of the injury was confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which also stated that Stokes would be unavailable for England’s squad in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He had already been ruled out of the 50-over format, having not played since England’s early exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

WATCH – Rishabh Pant’s Heartwarming Interaction With A Young Fan In Melbourne

In response to the setback, Ben Stokes took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his resolve. “Something else to overcome… go on then!!!!!!!! I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood, sweat, and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body,” he tweeted, displaying his unwavering determination to return to the field.

Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!!

I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt.
There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body

See you on the field to fuck some shit up

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) December 23, 2024

The Durham all-rounder has been open about his physical struggles and his drive to recover fully. Prior to the Test match in Hamilton, Stokes acknowledged that his understanding of his body had deepened, allowing him to push through the physical demands of his role.

WATCH – Rohit Sharma’s Candid Moment With A Fan At MCG Sparks Buzz Ahead Of Boxing Day Test

“I have to work so much harder on the physical side of the job to allow me to go out and do my job,” he explained. “That is where I got to before I pulled my hamstring. I bowled nicely in the summer, had a setback, but now feel out of that and not worrying about anything else happening again.” He added that as he gets older, he must focus more on his physical conditioning, a challenge he embraces in order to continue performing at his best.