England all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be a part of the English squad this summer anymore, as he will be flying to New Zealand to be with his unwell father, Ged. His father fell seriously ill over last Christmas, while England was on a tour to South Africa, and has been unwell since.
The absence of their vice-captain and the world No 1 all-rounder will leave a huge void in the English team for the next two Tests against Pakistan. Stokes has had a massive impact on the field this summer, helping the English side to a series win over West Indies and playing an important part with the ball in the second innings in the recent test win over Pakistan.
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“England all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the #raisethebat Test series against Pakistan for family reasons. Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand. He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August.”, a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board read.
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Now, with Stokes withdrawal from the squad, it would mean that England might bring Zak Crawley back into the side to bat at No 3, although they also have James Bracey, Daniel Lawrence, and Ben Foakes within the bio-secure bubble.
