Stuart Broad believes England must try to make light of the loss of captain Ben Stokes for the rest of the summer.
Stokes set the record for the fastest Test half-century by an England batsman last month to cap a 3-0 series win over the West Indies, but has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
The 33-year-old tore his hamstring while batting for the Northern Superchargers at The Hundred on Sunday and has set his sights on returning for England’s Test tour of Pakistan in early October.
🗣️ Harry Brook on Ben Stokes’ injury:
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good. I think he will have a scan tomorrow and we will see how he is.” pic.twitter.com/xewUWl6oYh
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴————————————————————————— 11 August 2024
Broad acknowledged that Stokes’ absence was a blow but defended the all-rounder’s decision to play at The Hundred between Test series.
“(It’s) a real disgrace,” former England bowler Broad told the PA news agency at the conclusion of the Sage Small Business XI competition, which he launched in June.
“There’s not much you can do about a torn thigh. He didn’t land badly or anything, he was just in deceleration mode.
“It’s a real shame for the friendly team because he looked so fit. He’s worked so hard on his fitness.
“But to use the old sporting adage ‘take the positives’, it actually gives England the chance to play Sri Lanka with a team without Ben Stokes, who they will need to test at some point.
“Stokesy hasn’t been able to bowl for a year and a half but has played as a batsman. What happens on the night before Brisbane in 18 months if Stokesy is not well?
“It’s important for (stand-in captain) Ollie Pope to get some experience and see what a team looks like without Ben Stokes – not that any of us particularly want that, but you have to look at the positives and Stokesy will still be there.
“He’s already texted me saying he’s going to be the coach, so I don’t know what Baz (Brendon McCullum) is going to do.”
Asked about criticism of Stokes’ participation in the Hundred between Test series, Broad said: “He is someone who likes to bat and bowl. Ultimately, if you don’t play intense cricket, you probably increase your risk of injury.”
“You can’t not play cricket from the end of the West Indies series to the start of the Sri Lanka series, because then you’ll be standing on the field on the first day in Sri Lanka and wondering, ‘What are you doing, what’s going on?'”
“You’re better off in a match than at the nets. I used to hate nets, I needed the intensity of the game and The Hundred was the game of cricket that best suited that.
“Not that he (Stokes) spent a lot of time in the middle in his games, but he still showed his mental sharpness against the best players in the world, Tim Southee etc.”
::: Sage and Stuart Broad are supporting small businesses in the UK with the Sage Small Business XI. Ten small businesses have each won a share of £50,000 in business grants, Sage software and experiences at The Hundred 2024. For more information visit www.sage.com/cricket.
