New Delhi, March 28 (NationPress) England's cricket captain, Ben Stokes, has announced that his return to competitive play is pushed back until May due to complications arising from a cheekbone injury. The 34-year-old all-rounder suffered the injury after being struck by a ball during a training session with Durham’s academy players in early February. He underwent surgery a week later to mend the fractured cheekbone.

Stokes initially planned to make his comeback in Durham’s County Championship opener against Kent this Friday. However, the club is still awaiting final medical clearance from specialists. Ryan Campbell, the head coach of Durham, indicated that Stokes is unlikely to play until the fixtures against Worcestershire on May 8 and another match against Kent at Beckenham on May 15.

If he is unable to return by then, these matches may be his only opportunity for red-ball cricket before England's first Test of the summer against New Zealand, commencing on June 4.

Campbell referred to the injury as a near-miss, stating, “This incident could have been catastrophic. It could have been significantly worse. A couple of centimeters in a different direction, and the outcome could have changed. The ball was struck with tremendous force, and we are fortunate he escaped with this injury,” as reported by the BBC.

Stokes has not participated in a match since England's disappointing Ashes series, where he was affected by an adductor injury during the penultimate Test in Sydney. Despite the team's loss, Stokes retains his captaincy role, with both coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key keeping their positions.

In his reflections on leadership, Stokes described the past few months as “the most challenging phase” of his captaincy but expressed confidence in the current coaching staff to guide the team forward.

“He has been working diligently to prepare. He has much to prove. It’s evident that the Ashes did not go as planned, and he is a dedicated individual who aspires for England to be the world's best team. He is professionally committed to getting back on track and ready,” he added.

Apart from his red-ball commitments, Stokes has indicated his desire to participate in this summer's One-Day Cup for Durham. Although this competition overlaps with The Hundred—where county teams generally field second-string players—Stokes' decision to skip the T20 tournament and his absence from England's white-ball squad means that the One-Day Cup will provide him with a platform to engage in limited-overs cricket between Test series.

Stokes has not played in 50-over cricket since England's 2023 World Cup campaign in India and has been absent from the One-Day Cup for Durham since 2014. Following the conclusion of the New Zealand Test series in late June, England is set to face Pakistan in a three-match Test series starting on August 19.