LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes has suffered a severe facial injury after being struck by a cricket ball.&nbsp;The 34-year-old all-rounder posted a picture on Instagram showing his right eye heavily swollen and bruised, a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage stuffed in his nose.&nbsp;&quot;You should see the state of the cricket ball,&quot; read Stokes&#39; caption of the picture, alongside a laughing face emoji.&nbsp;Stokes is back in England following a woeful Ashes tour, which ended with a 4-1 series loss to Australia last month.&nbsp;Although Stokes has made it clear he wants to continue to captain the red-ball side, his position remains uncertain amid an England and Wales Cricket Board review.&nbsp;England coach Brendon McCullum has labelled some of the ensuing fall-out from the Ashes &quot;out of order&quot;.&nbsp;Stokes is no longer a member of England&#39;s white-ball set-up and won&#39;t feature in the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka that starts this weekend.&nbsp;He could next play for Durham in the early rounds of the County Championship before England begin their home Test season against New Zealand at Lord&#39;s on June 4 -- Stokes&#39;s 35th birthday.&nbsp;Stokes is currently recovering from an adductor injury suffered during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January.&nbsp;The injury prevented him from bowling in Australia&#39;s second innings and completed a frustrating tour for the England skipper, who bowled well throughout the series but struggled with the bat.&nbsp;Stokes&#39; groin problem is the latest of several injuries that have blighted his career.&nbsp;In 2024, he tore his hamstring twice and he finished last season&#39;s home series against India on the sidelines due to a shoulder problem, having undergone an operation in late 2023 to deal with knee issues.&nbsp;Stokes is contracted by England until the end of the 2027 home season summer and he may now avoid entering next month&#39;s auction for the Hundred, leaving him free to focus on the Test team.

Cricket

England captain Ben Stokes suffered a facial injury after being hit by a cricket ball. He is recovering from injuries and remains uncertain about his future after the Ashes loss.

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England captain Stokes suffers facial injury after being hit by ball

England captain Stokes suffers facial injury after being hit by ball