England’s Ben Stokes ruled out of Sri Lanka series after tearing hamstring

Ben Stokes will miss the rest of the English summer after suffering a left hamstring tear while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

Stokes sustained the injury while batting against Manchester Originals on Sunday, forcing him out of the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka which begins next week at Old Trafford. An ECB statement said the England captain is aiming to be fit for their three-Test tour of Pakistan which begins in early October.

Stokes’s absence for the Sri Lanka Tests paves the way for Ollie Pope, England’s vice-captain, to lead his country for the first time. The ECB will not name a replacement for Stokes.

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