Ben Stokes has promised to return for the summer of England in cutting-edge state in physical condition after a long recovery of four months after hamstring surgery.
The captain of England Stokes has been out of service for the country and the county since he tore his left hamstrings during the final test in New Zealand in December.
Since he underwent surgery in January, the versatile of Durham, 33, has undertaken “one of the longest rehabilitation periods of his career” which, according to him, could see him return to the test adapter than ever.
“I still work hard,” said Stokes exclusively Sky Sports. “My philosophy when I am injured is that I come back more fit than I was injured.
“I worked incredibly hard on all aspects of everything, from my physical form to physical form, and I know that I will be in position when I am back on the ground to potentially be physically the best possible form in which I went.”
Stokes’ ischo-leg injury was a recurrence of the one he suffered by playing in the hundred for super-chargers last August. This would exclude him from the action in England for four consecutive test games, three at home against Sri Lanka and one in Pakistan.
Faced with a race to be in good shape for the tour of New Zealand, he participated in a condensed recovery period which finally contributed to the relapse. Now, with a gap in the calendar of England with enough recovery time, Stokes takes the opportunity to “nail” his return to physical form.
“ I managed this rehabilitation much better than the last ”
“The first time I pulled my hamstrings, there was such a small time to try to prepare for this series against Pakistan,” he added. “Return to the field after nine weeks with the tears to the hamstrings that I had was a very good effort, but there were days when I had no interest in doing what I had to do.
“This rehabilitation period was then very different from this period. We had to accelerate certain periods of normal rehabilitation with a hamstrings just to pass in shape to play, while this time around the medical team and I go absolutely because we have time.
“Time allowed me not to have to enter the state of mind of everyday awakening and to think of what I have to do to feel good in my head that I am in good shape. These are the invisible things that outside people do not necessarily see.
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Stokes presented his physical condition in an Instagram video earlier this year when he continued his recovery
“It was a difficult old slog and was very tiring and trying, not only physically but also the mentality, do something every day to try to go to the higher level of my rehabilitation. It takes you away from you; it was about every day for about six weeks when I had to do something, three or four sessions per day, it was difficult.
“This time, I had a lot more time to be able to slowly pour the foods in pieces of progress of walking, fast walking, racing, then bowling. It is not almost as physically or mentally trying, it was the big difference. I definitively treated this period of injury and rehabilitation much better than the first.
“I am not yet completely through it, but we are at the back of the four -month period and I am delighted to come back to play this summer.”
Stokes wishing to regain the role as a dominant versatile
England is faced with a unique test against Zimbabwe on May 22, a series of five tests against India between June 20 and August 4, then an Ashes in Australia series.
Stokes explained how he remains in dialogue with the head coach of England Brendon McCullum to manage his physical form to ensure that he can rediscover his form as one of the best in the world.
“I am 33 years old, I do not want to expose myself to a situation where I am out of the field when I don’t have to be,” said Stokes.
“I talk a lot about Baz a lot about many different things, we talked about this kind of thing and how he will help me better, how he will talk to me a lot more about these things. We have been working together for so long, we have known each other and the discussions we have had in recent months have been very good.”
Stokes is on the right track to return to test cricket this summer
As for the state of the game of stokes, he continued: “I feel good. The training and the game are completely different. No matter what you do in training, you cannot reproduce the intensity that your body is put in a game. As excited as I am to return to the field, I know that it will be different from my training.
“But in terms of my player role, this complete designer, hitting at six years old, trying to dominate all the situations that I find myself if I have a bat or a ball in my hand is what I want to recover on the field, on the biggest scene. I know that I have already done it, it is something that I am very confident in myself.
England men test games this summer ☀️
All matches at 11 a.m. from the United Kingdom and Ireland; All live on Sky Sports
- vs Zimbabwe: Thursday May 22 -Dimanche May 25 – Trent Bridge
- vs India: Friday June 20 -tiesday June 24 – Headingley
- vs India: Wednesday July 2 July 6 – Edgbaston
- vs India: Thursday July 10, July 14 – Lord’s
- vs India: Wednesday July 23, July 27 – Emirates Old Trafford
- vs India: Thursday July 31, August 4 – The Kia Oval
Series of ash in Australia 2025-26 🏏
All times in the United Kingdom and Ireland
- First test: Friday November 21 -tiesday November 25 (2h30) – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Second test: Thursday, December 4, of the day December 8 (4:30 am) – Le Gabba, Brisbane
- Third test: Wednesday December 17 -dimanche December 21 (12 p.m.) – Adelaide Oval
- Fourth test: Thursday December 25, December 29 (11:30 p.m.) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Fifth test: Sunday January 4 to Thursday January 8 (11:30 p.m.) – Sydney Cricket Ground
Look at the single four -day England test against Zimbabwe, live Sky Sports Cricket From 10 a.m. (11 a.m.) on Thursday, May 22.
