Captain Stokes to have scan ahead of Pakistan tour

Ben Stokes will person a scan connected his hamstring wounded adjacent week arsenic England hold connected nan captain’s fittingness for nan first Test successful Pakistan.

The 33-year-old was wounded astatine nan opening of August and missed nan 2-1 bid conclusion of Sri Lanka.

Stokes has been netting passim his lay-off, including a agelong nett astatine Durham’s Chester-le-Street past week, and has this week been playing successful nan Celebrity Pro-Am astatine nan PGA Championship play astatine Wentworth.

The scan is planned arsenic portion of monitoring nan all-rounder’s recovery, alternatively than a guidance to immoderate setback to nan injury.

The first Test successful nan three-match bid is owed to statesman connected 7 October.

At nan opening of September, Stokes told ESPN Cricinfo he would beryllium cautious pinch his return, alternatively than rushing backmost and risking further damage.

"I'd alternatively return an other 2 weeks than tally nan consequence of perchance doing thing worse and past putting myself retired of nan crippled for longer," he said. "I'm conscionable making judge that I'm doing everything correct and everything I perchance tin to effort and springiness myself a chance to being fresh for that first Test."

Despite nan injury, Stokes has been named arsenic skipper of nan 17-man squad which will depart connected 1 October.

If Stokes is ruled retired of nan first Test, Ollie Pope would proceed to deputise arsenic captain. In Stokes' absence from nan Sri Lanka series, England opted to screen for nan all-rounder by moving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith to number six and playing an other bowler.

The script of Stokes only being capable to bat would perchance time off England pinch a action decision.

If they were to proceed pinch nan equilibrium they favoured against Sri Lanka, England would person to bat Stokes successful nan apical five, truthful squeezing retired 1 of their regular apical order.

To debar that scenario, England could revert to 4 frontline bowlers, supplemented by Joe Root’s off-spin, a maneuver they favoured erstwhile Stokes was incapable to vessel because of a knee wounded successful India earlier this year.

Meanwhile, location is still nary clarity connected nan venues for nan 3 Tests, contempt England travelling successful little than 2 weeks.

The matches were owed to return spot successful Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan, but building activity successful Karachi is apt to time off that stadium unavailable.

There had been speculation portion of nan bid could beryllium shifted to nan United Arab Emirates, nevertheless it is now thought nan the 3 Tests will return spot successful Pakistan. It could beryllium that 1 of Rawalpindi aliases Multan hosts 2 matches.

England won 3-0 connected their past sojourn to Pakistan successful 2022, nan first clip a visiting squad had recorded a three-test cleanable expanse successful nan country.