"Chief sports writer?" - Out with hamstring injury, Ben Stokes slams journalist over accusation of prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship
England Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes recently hit back at a journalist on X over allegations of prioritizing The Hundred over County Championship matches. The 33-year-old reminded him that he featured in three County Championship fixtures over the summer as he nurses a hamstring injury.
The seam-bowling all-rounder had skipped IPL 2024 and T20 World Cup to come to full fitness ahead of the home summer. As a result, he played in three games against Somerset, Lancashire, and Worcestershire. Although Stokes didn't score as many runs as expected, he bowled at full tilt and picked up 25 wickets, including a fifer.
Meanwhile, Scott Wilson, a writer for a UK publication, wrote on X, calling the entire episode 'utterly farcical':
"So Ben Stokes isn't allowed to play any county cricket for #Durham during the summer, but he's fine to mess about in the circus that is the Hundred, rupturing his hamstring and ruling him out for the rest of the summer. Utterly farcical."
The Durham all-rounder replied:
"Chief Sports Writer??? I played 3 Championship games for Durham this year."
The hamstring tear sustained during The Hundred meant that the all-rounder will miss the remaining summer season. However, he is raring to be fit for the tour of Pakistan where England will play three more Tests, starting in October.
"Don’t think the format got him injured" - Nasser Hussain on Ben Stokes' condition
Meanwhile, former England skipper Nasser Hussain opened up on the Test captain's injury. He claimed that too many formats mean increased pressure on all the stakeholders. Hussain feels everyone wants a 'piece of the pie' and something gets compromised. He told Sky Sports:
"I don’t think the format got him injured. There are just too many formats of the game. There’s too much pressure on everyone concerned with the game, whether it’s the ground staff, umpires, players. Everyone wanting their piece of the pie. County members wanting 50-over cricket, County Championship cricket, rightly.
"Sky, BBC, ECB wanting The Hundred format as well. People of a certain age who love historically their cricket, wanting Test match cricket. In the end, when everyone wants a piece of the pie, something has to give."
Meanwhile, Stokes has emerged to be one of the three signings for MI Cape Town ahead of SA20 2025.