By Trisha Ghosal in London
How bad is the injury and why did you pull out so late?
Ben Stokes has confirmed he is out of the series decider at The Oval due to a muscle tear he couldn’t even pronounce, admitting that the risk of worsening the injury was simply too great. “I’ve got a decent tear… We waited as long as we could, but once the scan came in, bowling was ruled out. I gave myself every chance to play as a batter, but after a chat with the medical team, Baz (Brendon McCullum), and some time to myself, I knew it wasn’t right,” he said. The England captain stressed he wouldn’t put himself or his teammates in harm’s way. “The risk was way too high,” he added.
Will he be fit for the Ashes?
The silver lining? Stokes won’t miss any international cricket – at least for now. “Once this series was done, I was feet up anyway. The recovery timeline is around six or seven weeks, so I should be fine for the winter.”
Did he regret how the Old Trafford Test ended?
The final session in Manchester, when Stokes refused to bowl in pursuit of an unlikely win, was questioned in some quarters. But he stands by it. “No regrets. I wasn’t going to expose any of my bowlers to injury. Let’s not focus on a 20-minute period, it’s been a fantastic series.”
Who replaces him and how will England cope?
Jacob Bethell comes in at No. 6, and Stokes backed the youngster fully. “He batted (at number) three in New Zealand under more pressure and did really well. He is versatile, he plays all formats. It was an easy slot-in.”
Asked about England’s chances without him, Stokes was clear: “We’ve got 11 match-winners out there. One person doesn’t win or lose a game.”
How draining has the series been?
Stokes admitted to being physically and mentally exhausted. “This series has taken a big toll. Bowling, fielding, leading, it’s relentless. But both sides have turned up every day and left everything out there.”
And that 2.5m pitch rule drama?
Stokes diplomatically dodged the last question on England’s alleged ‘pitch scouting’: “I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened.”
As England aim for a series win without their talisman, Stokes will be on the sidelines, sore but supporting. “I’ll be right there with the team. The easy option is to give up but this group never does that.”
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