England Test skipper Ben Stokes sent a cheeky comeback to his former teammate Stuart Broad after the veteran pacer expressed concern over the all-rounder’s workload. Stokes’ fiery spell of bowling was instrumental in Durham’s innings victory over Somerset in the County Championship Division 1 clash on May 25.
Broad suggested that Stokes should avoid lengthy bowling spells due to his knee injury. However, the comment didn’t sit well with the England Test captain. The 32-year-old has been managing a long-standing knee issue that required surgery earlier this year. Stokes didn’t bowl in England’s recent Test tour of India until the final match in Dharamsala, with his workload being carefully managed.
“Hi, Ben. Love you & you have a heart of a lion. Please stop bowling 10-over spells with a dodgy knee,” Broad wrote on his X handle.
In typical Stokes fashion, the experienced cricketer replied, “F**k off Stuart what dodgy knee.”
Despite not bowling for a long time, Stokes ended with figures of 4/54, helping Durham dismiss Somerset for 171 in the first innings. When Durham came into bat, Stokes was dismissed for a six-ball duck, as Durham ended with a first-innings score of 265. In their second innings, Somerset managed to score just 88 runs. Stokes picked up four wickets for 23 runs, leading Durham to a victory by an innings and six runs.
Stokes had previously opted out of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA to focus on recovering his bowling fitness for England’s crucial summer of Test cricket. “I’m working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfill a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket. Opting out of the IPL and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future,” he stated as quoted by ecb.co.uk.
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