England captain Ben Stokes has shed light on his fitness plans ahead of the first Test in a conversation with the British journalists in Multan on Saturday.
Addressing the British journalists, Stokes expressed disappointment about missing the first Test.
“I tried hard to be fit for the first Test, but I had to make the decision not to play,” he said. “I wasn’t able to get myself ready for the game,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, the all-rounder announced his unavailability for the forthcoming series after realising during the training session in Multan that he still needs more rest.
Stokes had suffered a hamstring injury in the Hundred League, and despite putting in a lot of efforts to recover, he has been unable to recover.
In the skipper's absence, Ollie Pope will be leading the team as a stand-in captain in the upcoming match.
Continuing with his conversation, the 33-year-old cricketer discussed his condition and stated that he is not yet ready.
“There’s still a lot to be done in terms of rehab, considering my physical condition and future prospects. I am not fully ready at the moment,” he explained.
It is worth noting that the captain has confirmed his availability for the first fixture only, which is to be held on October 7.
In addition, he only has 10 days to prepare for the second Test, during which he plans to resumes bowling.
He added a period to his conversation after highlighting the importance of the Test cricket.
"Even if I am not playing, I have goals in my mind that I need to focus on. I have worked hard with the medical team to be fit, and in the next ten days, I plan to incorporate bowling into my training,” Stokes concluded.
Meanwhile, the first Test between England and the Shan Masood-led side is set to take place on Monday at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Schedule:
Oct 7-11 – First Test, Multan
Oct 15-19 – Second Test, Multan
Oct 24-28 – Third Test, Rawalpindi
England Playing XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinso, Brydon Carse (Debut), Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan Squad (for 1st Test)
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.- Ben Stokes
