Ben Stokes found himself on the receiving end of a brutal black eye, breaking what is considered a cardinal rule for cricket coaches. The English cricket sensation shared a photo on Instagram displaying his severely bruised eye, along with scratches on his face and a bandaged nose. In a light-hearted manner, the 34-year-old humorously commented, “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”
The cause of Stokes’ injuries was revealed as he was coaching young players at Durham’s indoor facility when a ball struck him, causing the mishap. After being swiftly taken to the hospital, Stokes reached out to the player responsible, Robbie Bowman, to reassure him. Durham coach Ryan Campbell disclosed that Stokes admitted to violating the top coaching rule of never turning one’s back on a batsman during training.
Stokes, who is recuperating from a groin injury suffered during the Ashes Test, is expected to make a return for Durham prior to England’s upcoming Test against Australia in June. Despite his recent setbacks, Stokes remains committed to England until the end of the 2027 Ashes series and is contemplating a coaching role post-retirement. With 120 Test appearances for England, Stokes continues to be a formidable presence in the cricketing world.