Exclusive: What is the extent of Ben Stokes' hamstring injury, and how long does it usually take to recover?
England Test captain Stokes tore his left hamstring while playing in The Hundred for Northern Superchargers and will be out of action for a considerable period.
Ben Stokes was absorbed in regaining full fitness this summer. The England Test captain wanted to deliver as an all-rounder across formats after his left knee surgery last year. The operation had restricted his bowling abilities, but he was slowly on the path to recovery.
The 33-year-old opted out of the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League to operate in full throttle at the County Championship for Durham. The right-arm medium pacer even bagged a five-for against Lancashire before the three-Test series versus the West Indies, where he bowled 49 overs for five wickets.
Last Sunday, Stokes tore his left hamstring while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred for the first time in three years. The explosive batter pulled up after running a single. He had to be carried off the field and was left on crutches.
Stokes will not be part of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka at home starting August 21. He will aim to recover for the tour of Pakistan in October, but that depends on the extent of the damage and his rehabilitation process.
Hamstring injuries, a cricketer's nightmare
Dr Shuaib Manjra, the former chief medical officer of Cricket South Africa, reckons that hamstring injuries are the highest among cricketers across the board. It happens to bowlers, batters and fielders.
"Batsmen sprinting between wickets is a risk factor. When you look at explosive forms of cricket, you will find increased hamstring injuries. ODI and T20I have high intensity. Many studies have shown that ODI cricket has high incidents of hamstring injuries among cricketers. Besides the explosive nature, it is also a prolonged game.”
"It could be a combination of fatigue and the explosive element of the game," he told SportsBoom.com.
Dr Manjra emphasised how injuries can repeat if not rehabilitated properly.
One of the risk factors of a hamstring injury is that if you had a previous injury which is not fully rehabilitated, there is a high-risk factor to getting injured again. Among the Proteas international players, Temba Bavuma has come out of his hamstring injuries stronger. He is muscular and explosive. He worked hard on rehabilitation.
Dr Manjra
It is not a coincidence that it was Stokes' left knee then, and left hamstring now that paused his career.
The extent of Stokes' injury
The England and Wales Cricket Board did not disclose the extent of the injury, but Dr Manjra understands it could be a serious one. "I suspect it is a significant injury since he is on crutches. Had it been Grade 1, you could walk around though you would have discomfort. He is on protection and that's why he is on crutches. Later, they will perhaps work on optimal loading followed by ice compression and elevation," he said.
Ramji Srinivasan, a renowned strength, and conditioning coach in India who was part of the victorious Indian cricket team in the ODI World Cup 2011, believes the recovery from a hamstring injury depends on grade and location. "The recovery could be from three weeks to two months, depending on grade and the efficiency of the rehab process in return to play.
It is tough to be a fast-bowling all-rounder. They need to be like a decathlete. It's a no-brainer to protect them and provide the best concoction to be injury-free,
Ramji Srinivasan
Smart training and conditioning
Srinivasan feels that Stokes needs to train "smarter than hard".
"The secret lies in their fitness and recovery regime, and how they manage their workload in all aspects and not just bowling alone. It's teamwork to keep a player like Stokes firing on all cylinders," said Srinivasan, citing examples of legendary cricketers who managed their hamstring smartly. "Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel are few of the players who worked smart and got out of such injuries with success."
Dr Manjra reasoned how conditioning a player is crucial ahead of a long season. "Most of these injuries happen at the beginning of the season. It is a good indication that many of the players are going into action not fully conditioned. There is cricket all around the year now, but you will still see a higher prevalence in the pre-season," he said, adding: "Among bowlers, you see higher incidence of hamstring injuries in multi-day games. You will see hamstring injuries in Test matches. There is an interesting distinction between the two. It could be either fatigue or intensity related."
The three Tests against the West Indies — where Stokes played as an all-rounder — happened between July 10 and July 26, and he appeared for the Northern Superchargers' first match on August 6.
Instead of appearing for The Hundred, Stokes could have conditioned himself better to prepare for the red-ball season ahead. As of now, he will be looking ahead to a fitter 2025, if not the series against Pakistan, followed by New Zealand in November.
Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya is a cricket journalist based in India who takes a keen interest in stories that unfold on and off the field. His expertise lies in news writing, features and profiles, interviews, stats, and numbers-driven stories. He has also worked as a podcaster and talk show host on cricket-related shows on YouTube and Spotify.