England Test captain Ben Stokes on Sunday vowed to wear a helmet at all times when batting, whether in the middle or the nets. Earlier this week, the legendary all-rounder underwent a successful surgery after sustaining an eye injury. Stokes was struck on the eye by a cricket ball earlier this month. The 34-year-old had posted an image on his Instagram Story, showcasing his bruised and swollen right eye and cheek. He captioned the post as, “May not look like it… But the surgery was a success.”
On Sunday, Stokes took to X (formerly Twitter) to say that he will never understand batters playing without helmets when a spinner is bowling, saying cricket balls can do serious damage and hence one should proceed with extreme caution and care.
“I never understood the no helmet when spin is bowling, tbf I used to have throw downs with no helmet,” Stokes wrote on X.
“After my accident last week and getting seriously lucky with the outcome I’ll never not wear a helmet, cricket balls do serious damage,” he added.
Earlier, Stokes had revealed on Instagram that he had been hit on the face by a ball, with his eye heavily swollen and bruised. There was also a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage was stuffed in his nose.
In his Instagram Stories, he wrote, “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”
According to reports, Stokes had faced an injury while coaching academy players at Durham’s indoor cricket centre.
Stokes is currently in the UK. He landed back in England after a dismal Ashes tour, where the Three Lions lost 1-4 against Australia under his captaincy. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already started an independent review, and his position as the captain is under the scanner.
However, several reports claim that Stokes would survive the axe; however, the same cannot be said about head coach Brendon McCullum.
Stokes yet to play after the Ashes
Stokes has not played any competitive game after the last Ashes Test, which was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He’s expected to lead the side next in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.
The England captain had suffered an adductor injury on the penultimate day of the series, according to the BBC. The Ashes defeat led to significant criticism of England’s performance, preparation and the excessive drinking culture.
The entire Ashes campaign was marred by reports of England players indulging in binge drinking sessions and even visiting casinos in between the Test matches. The travelling contingent had also taken a mid-series break, going to Noosa for a small trip, despite losing the first two Tests and being 0-2 down in the five-match series.
