“I Got Out Quite Lucky” – Ben Stokes Opens Up on Horror Facial Injury Ahead of June Return

England Test captain Ben Stokes is expected to return to action next month after recovering from a facial injury sustained during a training session earlier this year. The all-rounder suffered a broken cheekbone after being struck by a ball while working with academy players at Durham County Cricket Club in February.

Ben Stokes underwent surgery following the incident and has since resumed his recovery programme. He is now targeting a return in the County Championship ahead of England’s home Test season, where they are scheduled to face the New Zealand national cricket team at Lord's Cricket Ground in June.

Reflecting on the incident, Stokes said the outcome could have been far more serious.

“I copped one straight in the face,” he told the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“Pretty nasty but, funnily, probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest. Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview, if I didn’t turn my head round.

“All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out, it was a bit of a mess under here (cheekbone), I’ve got out quite lucky. So pretty thankful for that.”

Focus Shifts to Test Summer

The injury forced Stokes to delay his early-season plans, with his return timeline pushed back by several weeks. He confirmed that adjustments were made to his preparation in order to regain match fitness in time for the Test schedule.

“Obviously it set everything back about a month, five weeks, with getting back to where I wanted to be,” he said.

“At the back end of all that now but it was a pretty scary situation. Thankfully still here and everything’s all right.”

Stokes is likely to feature in two County Championship matches before leading England into the first Test of the summer, as the side looks to reset after a difficult away Ashes campaign.