"My knee is in a much better place than it was in Wellington" - Ben Stokes confident of bowling in 2023 Ashes series
England Test captain Ben Stokes remains confident of bowling in the upcoming 2023 Ashes. The 31-year-old revealed he was working closely with the medical team in Chennai to get himself in shape.
The Durham all-rounder played only two matches in IPL 2023 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and sit out the majority of the competition due to an ankle issue. The left-handed batter had arrived in the tournament with a knee injury that flared up during the Test series against New Zealand.
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Speaking at a press conference ahead of the one-off Test against Ireland, Stokes his knee is in a far better place than it was and feels he has gone three years behind regarding that.
He stated, as quoted by Sky Sports:
"My knee is in a much better place than it was in Wellington. I have got myself into a position where I am not able to look back and regret or say I have not given myself the best opportunity to play a full role with the ball this summer.
"I have worked incredibly hard with the medical team in Chennai, who were liaising with the ECB guys. I have got myself into a place where I feel like I am back in 2019, 2020 with my body."
With James Anderson and Ollie Robinson set to sit out of the Ireland Test, the Kiwi-born cricketer might have to bowl a few overs at Lord's.
"I have given myself the best chance" - Ben Stokes
Stokes went on to state that being on the field provides an extra motivation that one doesn't get while training. He explained:
"The mind and the body are different but I have given myself the best chance. We know what the problem is and it's about managing it with workload and the medical team, just to get through it.
"The great thing about sport and being out in the arena is that it gives you adrenaline, helps you do something in a game you are probably not able to do in training. Hopefully, I can turn up every day and bowl like I have been able to do before this little niggle showed up."
The Test, which starts on Thursday (June 1), will also be the second-ever red-ball game between England and Ireland. The former won the first contest in 2019 by 143 runs.