Ben Stokes’ return to cricket delayed further after cheekbone injury surgery

NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes has confirmed that his return to competitive cricket has been delayed until May due to complications from a cheekbone injury. The 34-year-old all-rounder, who was hit by a ball during a training session with Durham’s academy players in early February, underwent surgery a week later to repair the fractured cheekbone.

Stokes had originally intended to return during Durham’s County Championship opening game against Kent this Friday. However, the club is still waiting for final medical approval from specialists. Durham's head coach, Ryan Campbell, suggested that Stokes probably won't play until the matches against Worcestershire on May 8 and then against Kent at Beckenham on May 15.

If Stokes is unable to return before then, those games could represent his only red-ball action before England's first Test of the summer against New Zealand, which begins on June 4.

Campbell described the injury as a close call. “[The incident] could have been horrific. So, so much worse than what you think. A couple of centimetres, a different way it hits him in the eye, and it could have been different. The ball was hit so hard. We are just lucky he got away with it,” he was quoted by the BBC.