England captain Joe Root lifts lid on Ben Stokes ‘scare’ on eve of Ashes

11/29/2021

England captain Joe Root has played down injury fears after star all-rounder Ben Stokes was floored in the nets by a ball from batting coach Jonathan Trott.

Stokes has not played competitive cricket since July after struggling with a finger injury and deciding to prioritise his mental wellbeing.

His decision to return in time for the Ashes tour of Australia came as a major boost to England's chances of regaining the urn.

However, Root has admitted that he thought Stokes' tour could be over when he was hit by the ball.

"It was a bit of a concern at the time," he said. "I think the wickets, because of the weather, had been slightly spicy, and guys have had to really get stuck in.

"There have been a few little knocks here and there. To see Ben get hit like that was obviously a scare – we all know how crucial he is within our squad.

"But he seems to have come through it pretty well and practised again today. We'll keep assessing and making sure that it doesn't have a prolonged effect on him.

"It's going to be really important that he gets himself ready, both physically and mentally, for this series to play a big part in it."

Writing in his Mirror Sport column, Stokes revealed that he initially thought he had broken his arm, saying: "I was in agony, and I couldn’t lift it thereafter.

"I thought it was broken. Thankfully the pain and reaction settled down once I was back in the dressing room and the physios could be sure it wasn’t actually a break.

"Up until this point the trip had been fantastic and pretty straightforward. It had been so good to be back amongst the team and my friends again. Seeing them all at the airport was great and it felt like I hadn’t really been away, which is exactly what I was hoping for."

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