England’s Ben Stokes has withdrawn from the ongoing Test series against Pakistan for family reasons, the ECB announced on Sunday. The no. The 1-ranked all-rounder, who played the first Test in Manchester, will fly to Christchurch in New Zealand – where his parents Ged and Deb live – later this week.
Read also | ‘Such opportunities cannot be wasted’: Shahid Afridi, Michael Vaughan react to Pakistan’s loss to England in 1st Test
Stokes’ father Ged – a former international rugby league – was hospitalized for England’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa in December last year.
“England all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the rest of the #raisethebat Test series against Pakistan for family reasons,” the ECB said in a statement.
Read also | We missed our chances, credit to Woakes and Buttler: Pakistan captain Azhar Ali
“Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand. He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl, starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August.
“The Cricket Board of England and Wales, along with the Stokes family, demand that all media at this time respect the privacy of the family.”
Stokes, who was born in New Zealand, has featured in England’s four Tests this summer. He included England in the first of three Tests against the West Indies and followed it up with a valuable performance from Player-of-the-Match in the second Test in Manchester, hitting 176 and 78 with the ball and grabbing three wickets.
.
