Chris Woakes pulled out of The Hundred 2024 by ECB ahead of Sri Lanka Tests as Ben Stokes remains under injury cloud

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has withdrawn right-arm seamer Chris Woakes from The Hundred 2024 ahead of the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka after captain Ben Stokes' hamstring injury. According to ESPNcricinfo, Woakes had been made unavailable ahead of the Birmingham Phoenix's last two matches of The Hundred 2024.

Woakes was supposed to play Phoenix's final two group-stage games of the 2024 edition against the Trent Rockets on Monday, August 12, and the Manchester Originals on Thursday, August 15, both at Edgbaston. However, the ECB rendered him unavailable for both matches, citing 'workload management', although England have denied that the withdrawal is connected to the skipper's injury.

The star all-rounder limped off the field during the fixture between the Northern Superchargers and the Manchester Originals at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday, August 11. The 33-year-old was later spotted walking with crutches as Superchargers captain Harry Brook revealed that the injury didn't look good as they will run the scans to understand its full extent.

Ollie Pope likely to captain England if Ben Stokes gets ruled out due to injury

Should Stokes find himself out of the series or any Test against Sri Lanka, beginning on August 21, Ollie Pope will likely step in as captain. The selectors were forced to pick the uncapped Jordan Cox in the squad due to Zak Crawley's hand injury and the former could feature in place of the regular Test captain.

England have also ensured that none of their frontline bowlers have played in The Hundred this year. Gus Atkinson played for the Oval Invincibles last year but hasn't been selected in this year's edition, while Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood don't have a deal with any sides.

England brushed aside the West Indies 3-0 in their previous series to lift the Richards-Botham Trophy.