England captain Ben Stokes will miss the start of the county cricket season as he continues to recover from a broken cheekbone.
The 34-year-old Durham all-rounder sustained the injury last month during a training session with academy players and underwent surgery soon after. Stokes has not played since England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in January.
He will miss Durham’s County Championship opener against Kent next week but could return for matches against Worcestershire in early May, Durham coach Ryan Campbell said. England’s first summer Test match is scheduled against New Zealand starting June 4.
Naseem Shah issued show-cause notice over social media post mocking Punjab chief minister
Last week, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed it would retain the current leadership following its Ashes review. Managing director Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum, and Stokes as captain will continue in their roles after England lost the series in just 11 days with two games to spare.