"Until it actually came out, I thought this might be the end" - Ben Stokes endures a scary moment after choking on a tablet
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has revealed how a small tablet came in the way of his hopes of playing in the Ashes. He shed light on the struggle he faced when the tablet became lodged in his windpipe while alone in a hotel room.
BEN STOKES COLUMN: A simple tablet nearly cost me my Ashes dream - I thought it might be the end! | @benstokes38 mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/… https://t.co/NNOWLcZLU8
Stokes announced his intention to play in the Ashes after missing out on the home tour against India and the T20 World Cup. The all-rounder had taken a break from the sport to focus on his mental well-being and mend the injury to his finger. Stokes eventually managed to get the tablet out after a lot of resistance.
In his column for the Daily Mirror, Stokes wrote:
"It was actually down to a simple tablet that went down the wrong way, and got stuck in my windpipe causing me to choke horribly before the glands in my face went into overdrive to flush it out.Until it actually came out, I thought this might be the end. We’ve all had those moments when something gets stuck in the throat, and usually someone can help you out."
Stokes continued:
"But I was on my own in my room and I couldn’t breathe as it became lodged and started to dissolve. It felt like my mouth was on fire. The team doctor came to see me straight away and she explained what had happened with the body reacting the way it did. I’m glad it did, even though I was a mess."
The 30-year-old last played for England in July while leading the second-string team to a 3-0 series victory over Pakistan.
I thought my arm was broken: Ben Stokes
After struggling with the tablet, fate only had more things in store for Ben Stokes. During practice, Stokes was hit in the forearm by coach Jonathan Trott, leading him to believe it could possibly be a fracture. After an assessment by the physios, the possibility of a fracture was ruled out. Stokes wrote:
"After all the drama of the morning, I was happy to get a bit of training in later on, but then came another scary moment as I got hit on the forearm by a ball from our batting coach Jonathan Trott. I was in agony, and I couldn’t lift it thereafter. I thought it was broken"
Luckily for Stokes, the pain had settled down by the time he returned to the dressing room. The physios confirmed that there hadn't been a fracture after all.
Behind the scenes on an #Ashes practice day in Brisbane 🏏
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Ben Stokes is expected to play a huge role in the upcoming Ashes series, which is slated to start on December 8 in Brisbane.