England Test captain Ben Stokes might miss the next few rounds of the county season, but according to his county coach Ryan Campbell, the rehabbing Stokes is “working is butt off” to regain his optimal fitness for the busy Test season, which includes a five-Test series at home against India and the Ashes tour to Australia.
Stokes tore his hamstring, for the second time in five months, just before Christmas in New Zealand. But he has returned to England to join his Durham teammates in the pre-season. Campbell elaborated on his preparations: “What we know about Stokesy is that he’s here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was, the next day, lifting weights, which I couldn’t believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is.”
He was spotted doing sprints at full tilt and even bowled a few overs from a shorter run-up. “He’s such a hard-working bloke and he’ll do whatever it takes to be up and running for England, which is really exciting for England fans. For Durham fans, if he happens to play a game or two along the way, great,” Campbell said.
Stokes is not the only Durham cricketer who has been on a comeback trail. Fellow quicks Mark Wood and Brydon Carse, both primed to figure against India if fully fit, too are being assessed. Wood had a knee surgery in early March, which had ruled him out for four months and it’s unlikely that he figures against India. Carse had incurred an indebilitating foot injury. “We’ve known about his foot problems for a year now. It’s not new, but he needs to get it right if he’s going to be playing a lot of Test cricket,” Campbell said.
“I think Brydon is probably the number one priority for England right now. With what he’s shown in Test cricket, he’s born for that sort of stuff. There’s 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he’s going to be number one on England’s list to make sure that he’s ready to go for that,” he said.
A relief, though, could be Jofra Archer. He had not completed a Test match since 2021, but has shown glimpses of regaining his old hostility in the game against Chennai Super Kings in a splendid new-ball burst.