Ben Stokes has undergone a second operation on his broken index finger but is unlikely to be named in England’s squad for the Ashes, the Daily Mirror has reported.
The 30-year-old allrounder, who has been on an indefinite break since withdrawing from the home Test series against India this year to focus on his mental health, sustained the finger injury playing in the Indian Premier League in April.
The report said Leeds-based consultant Doug Campbell removed the screws from Stokes’ finger on Monday and treated the scar tissue that had been causing him severe pain.
The Mirror, for whom Stokes writes a column, added that although the player would be ruled out for a lengthy period, the surgery had been successful.
Stokes made an early comeback in July after the first operation, leading England to a 3-0 one-day international series win over Pakistan, but needed injections to get through the games.
He then decided to take a break from cricket for mental health reasons and allow time for his finger to heal.
Stokes was last month omitted from England’s squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and seems likely to miss his second Ashes series, having also been ruled out of the 2017-18 tour after his infamous incident at a Bristol nightclub.
He was a shining light in his only tour of Australia to date, scoring England’s only Test century in Australia’s 5-0 whitewash back in 2013-14.
The first Test against Australia is due to start on December 8.
Keith Griffen
Guest
Huge loss. This will literally cost england the ashes. Stokes is such an x factor player. It's hard to see stokes being available for the 2025 ashes. A huge talent who can turn a game. I'm calling it now, despite India's heroics, england will lose the ashes 3-0 here.