Stokes undergoes knee surgery

Stokes suffered a cartilage tear in his left knee during England’s crushing Test victory against Sri Lanka last week at Headingley. 

He had already said that he expects to miss the remainder of Sri Lanka’s tour, but the England and Wales Cricket Board have not offered any prognosis following his operation yesterday. Stokes is unlikely to be seen again until the start of the Pakistan series in July, though England are not yet committing to a timescale. 

The 24-year-old admitted it was a huge blow to be sidelined while England are in action, although he planned to watch his team-mates in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham this week. 

“Devastated to be missing the rest of the series, this has been a ongoing issue for 2/3 years which I’ve managed to play through until now,” Stokes tweeted. 

In Stokes’ absence, Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes, who took nine wickets on Monday to celebrate his call-up for the second Test against Sri Lanka, and the uncapped Jake Ball will have the chance to impress. 

“Ben Stokes has undergone surgery this afternoon to address a cartilage tear in his left knee. Full details on the length of his rehabilitation will be confirmed in due course,” an ECB statement read. 

Topley’s situation is clearer, with “a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine” likely to keep him sidelined for most of the season.