Stokes undergoes second surgery on injured finger, may miss Ashes

London: England all-rounder Ben Stokes has undergone a second surgery on his broken index finger, ECB announced.

Stokes, who has been on indefinite leave since pulling out of the home Test series against India due to mental fatigue, is unlikely to feature in the Ashes, starting in December.

“Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the index finger of his left hand. He will now undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team,” the statement read as.

It must be noted that Stokes picked up the injury on his left index finger while playing in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals four months back.

Stokes attempted a return to action this summer, playing for Durham in the T20 Blast in June and was also picked for the ODI series against Pakistan in July.

The series was marred by England’s first squad forced into isolation following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Stokes led a second-string side that featured nine uncapped players and guided England to a 3-0 series win.

However, he required a painkilling injection throughout the series. He has not played in any form of cricket since July 26.

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