England captain Stokes out of SL series with torn hamstring

LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn hamstring and will miss the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Tuesday.

The 33-year-old all-rounder, who suffered the injury while batting for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday, will be replaced as Test skipper for the three-match series by vice-captain Ollie Pope, the ECB added.

The first Test against Sri Lanka begins on August 21 at Old Trafford. “England Men´s Test Captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for the rest of the summer after tearing his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday,” said an ECB statement.

“As a result of the scans conducted in Leeds on Tuesday, Stokes will miss England´s three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. “The all-rounder is aiming to return for England´s winter Test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in early October. The tour includes three Test matches in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.”