Ben Stokes ruled out of 1st Test against Pakistan; Brydon Carse announced as replacement

New Delhi: England's regular Test captain Ben Stokes' comeback has hit a snag as he has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan. Stokes, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since August, was also unable to participate in the Test series against Sri Lanka. There were concerns about Stokes' fitness from the outset, with many speculating that he would not recover in time for the opening Test against Pakistan.

England on Saturday named pace bowling all-rounder Brydon Carse in their playing eleven after regular captain Ben Stokes was ruled out from the first Test against Pakistan.

Ollie Pope gets the responsibility:

In Stokes’ absence, vice-captain Ollie Pope took over the command against Sri Lanka and under his leadership the team won the series 2-1. England has announced the playing 11 for the Multan Test and once again the command has been handed over to Pope. A three-match Test series is to be played between Pakistan and England. Pakistan’s form is not good and England will be looking to take advantage of it. England Cricket said in a statement, Ben Stokes is still recovering from hamstring, due to which Ollie Pope will take charge of the team in his absence.

Stokes has accompanied the team on the tour of Pakistan and also participated in the training season. Stokes is focusing on both batting and bowling, but there are concerns about his fitness level. Last week, Stokes had indicated that he would not bowl at the start of the series. There was already doubt about his inclusion in this series, but, certainly, Stokes is not yet a fully match fit.

Stokes was injured during The Hundred:

Stokes was injured while playing in The Hundred tournament on 11 August and had to leave the field. His absence is a big setback for England. His experience with coach Brendon McCullum has been important for England’s success. With Stokes out, the responsibility of the team is on Ollie Pope.

England XI for 1st Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.