England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he underwent successful surgery after suffering a serious facial injury when he was hit by a cricket ball during a nets session.
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The 34-year-old all-rounder shared images of his swollen and bruised face on social media last week, showing a badly black eye, a scratch on his cheek and lip and a bandage on his nose. Adding a touch of humor to the worrying incident, Stokes captioned one of his posts: “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”
On Tuesday, Stokes updated hospital fans with another photo, confirming that the procedure had gone well.
“It may not seem like it, but the surgery was a success,” he wrote, reassuring his followers while also highlighting the severity of the injury. Reports suggest that the England captain was neither batting nor bowling at the time, but was standing next to the nets when the ball hit him.
The surgery comes at a challenging time for Stokes, who has just returned to England after a disappointing Ashes tour that ended with a 4-1 series loss to Australia. While he has reiterated his desire to continue leading the Test team, his long-term captaincy remains under scrutiny as the England and Wales Cricket Board conducts a review.
Stokes has been absent from England’s white-ball set-up since the 2023 World Cup and is not part of the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. His next appearance could be in County Cricket for Durham before England’s home Test season begins against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 4, a match that coincides with his 35th birthday.