Ben Stokes Continues Recovery After Cheekbone Surgery
England captain Ben Stokes remains in recovery following surgery to repair a broken cheekbone and will not participate in Durham's upcoming match as initially planned.
The 34-year-old sustained the injury in early February when struck by a ball during net practice with Durham's academy players. Surgery was performed a week later.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell stated that Stokes was expected to play in the season opener against Kent starting on Friday; however, the club is still awaiting medical clearance from specialists.
Campbell does not anticipate Stokes returning to play until the matches against Worcestershire beginning 8 May and the reverse fixture against Kent at Beckenham on 15 May.
If Stokes does not return earlier, these fixtures would be his only red-ball appearances before England's first Test of the summer against New Zealand, scheduled for 4 June.
"[The incident] could have been horrific. So, so much worse than what you think," Campbell said.
"A couple of centimetres a different way it hits him in the eye and it could have been different.
"The ball was hit so hard. We are just lucky he got away with it."
Stokes' Injury and Impact on Playing Schedule
Stokes has not played since the conclusion of England's disappointing Ashes series. He suffered an adductor injury on the penultimate day of the Sydney Test, which significantly affected his performance.
He was expected to participate alongside several England players in the early rounds of the County Championship amid competition for Test team selection.
Despite the 4-1 Ashes defeat, Stokes has been retained as England captain, with coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key also continuing in their roles.
Following these decisions, Stokes described the past three months as "the hardest period" of his England captaincy and expressed confidence in the current management team to advance the squad.
"He has been training so hard to be ready," Campbell said.
"He has a lot to prove. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the Ashes didn't go so well and he is a proud man who wants England to be the best team in the world.
"He, as a professional, is working at getting right and ready to go."
Future Plans and Participation in One-Day Cup
Campbell also revealed that Stokes intends to play for Durham in the One-Day Cup this summer.
The 50-over competition runs concurrently with The Hundred, with counties often fielding secondary squads.
Stokes has not played in the 50-over format since the 2023 World Cup in India and last appeared in the competition for Durham in 2014.
Having opted out of The Hundred and currently not part of England's white-ball teams, the One-Day Cup would offer Stokes valuable match practice between England's Test series.
The New Zealand Test series concludes in late June, followed by a three-Test series against Pakistan commencing on 19 August.
