“G.O.A.T Wifey” - Ben Stokes shares birthday post for better-half Clare Ratcliffe
England Test captain Ben Stokes posted a birthday message on social media for his wife, Clare Ratcliffe, on Monday, October 7. Stokes has been sidelined for the first match of the three-match Test series against Pakistan due to a hamstring injury he sustained two months ago.
Meanwhile, Stokes and Clare have been together since 2010. The couple tied the knot on October 14, 2017, after being engaged for four years. They have two children: a son, Layton Stokes, and a daughter, Libby Stokes.
On October 7, the all-rounder took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post for his wife, captioning it:
“HB G.O.A.T Wifey.”
Ben Stokes has been out of action for some time due to a hamstring injury he sustained during The Hundred. The 33-year-old missed the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home, which the hosts won 2-1.
In Stokes' absence, Ollie Pope has been serving as the stand-in captain. Stokes is expected to play some role in the remaining two matches of the series against Pakistan.
"I've pushed myself incredibly hard” - Ben Stokes as he recovers from hamstring injury
Ben Stokes was ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan, which began on Monday, October 7, in Multan, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
On October 5, he provided an update, stating that he has been pushing hard and plans to give himself another 10 days to be fit for the second match. He said [as quoted by ESPNcricinfo]:
"I tried my hardest to try and get myself fit for this first game but we've taken the call to miss this one. I've not quite managed to get game-ready. We got to a certain point, but just looking at the bigger picture around what we've got coming up and actually physically where I'm at with my rehab, I'm not quite ready to play.
"I've pushed myself incredibly hard. I've worked really, really hard with the medical team to get to where I'm at now. I think I'm further ahead than what we expected today. Look, I'll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try and give myself a chance to be fit,” Stokes added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan finished Day 1 at 328 for four, thanks to significant contributions from Abdullah Shafique (102) and captain Shan Masood (151).