Ben Stokes Ruled Out Of England's Test Series Against Sri Lanka Due To Hamstring Injury

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Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England's three-Test series against Sri Lanka due to a left hamstring tear. The injury occurred while he was playing in The Hundred on Sunday. Stokes was seen on crutches after being carried off the field for the Northern Superchargers.

Scans conducted on Tuesday confirmed that Stokes will miss the rest of the summer. Initially, there was hope he might play in the first Test later this month. Ollie Pope will step in as captain during Stokes' absence, with Stokes aiming to be fit for the Pakistan tour in October.

England will also be without opener Zak Crawley for the Sri Lanka series. Crawley sustained a finger injury during a match against the West Indies at Edgbaston. His absence adds to England's challenges ahead of the series.

"Wishing you all the best in your recovery, Ben," tweeted England Cricket on August 13, 2024.

Sri Lanka has appointed Ian Bell as their batting coach for the upcoming tour. Bell, who played 118 Tests for England between 2004 and 2015, will work under former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva stated, "We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. We believe his input will help our team in this crucial tour."

The first Test of the series is scheduled to begin at Old Trafford in Manchester on August 21.

The changes in both teams' line-ups add an extra layer of intrigue to what promises to be an exciting series.