Ben Stokes to undergo knee surgery post ODI World Cup 2023

Ben Stokes shocked the cricketing world when he opted to come out of ODI retirement and play in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 in India. However, the experienced campaigner is playing as a specialist batter as he isn’t fit enough to bowl. Notably, Stokes’ chronic knee issue has stopped him from bowling in any form of cricket since July 1, the fourth day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

The southpaw said that he will go undergo knee surgery after the completion of the World Cup and hopes to return as an all-rounder for the Test series against India in early 2024.

“I will hopefully be fine for the Test series [against India]. I am having surgery after the World Cup… There was a lot of time put into deciding when to get it done. The India Test series, which we start at the end of January, I should be fine to go by then,” Stokes said on the eve of England’s fixture against Australia, in Ahmedabad.

“When we go to those meetings, we generally take a physio and doctor and they start talking. I just turn up, go to sleep, wake up and hope it is better… they use language that I’ve never heard before. There’s obviously something that needs to be operated on. It’s been a big hindrance on me, and affected what I can do for the team,” the Christchurch-born further continued.

Obviously that [being an allrounder] is what I want to be doing. You’d hope that it means that I can get back to doing what I’ve been known for, which is playing a role as a batter, and playing a role as a bowler as well,” Stokes concluded.

Ben Stokes has been off colour for England in the World Cup 2023

The 32-year-old missed the first four games in the ODI World Cup 2023 before returning to play in the clash against South Africa. So far, in the three matches Stokes has played, he has scored just 48 runs at a paltry average of 16 and a meagre strike rate of 52.75. England might only have a mathematical chance of progressing to the semi-finals but their realistic target should be finishing in the top eight and assuring a place in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. England fans will hope for a strong finish from their team in the World Cup and Stokes could be the player who could headline the turnaround.