England Test captain Ben Stokes is on track to return to action in May after a 'lucky' escape from a serious facial injury sustained during a training accident. Stokes, who broke his right cheekbone and suffered other facial injuries, underwent surgery and is now eyeing a comeback in two County Championship matches with Durham. The 31-year-old is expected to feature against Worcestershire on May 8 and Kent on May 15, before potentially playing for England Lions against South Africa A later that month. Stokes' return to fitness is a significant boost for England ahead of their first Test of the summer against New Zealand on June 4.
In an interview with the ECB, Stokes reflected on the training incident, saying, 'It was pretty nasty, but I got quite lucky.' He added, 'I had to go back to the drawing board and put a plan together to get me ready to play a couple of games for Durham before the Test summer starts.' Stokes also dismissed suggestions that he and head coach Brendon McCullum are not aligned, stating, 'Differences of opinion are integral to healthy and successful sporting relationships.' Meanwhile, England fast bowler Brydon Carse has withdrawn from the IPL due to an injury to his bowling hand, with the severity of the injury still unclear.