Ben Stokes to undergo knee surgery, India Test series participation uncertain

England red-ball skipper Ben Stokes has clarified that he will undergo knee surgery after the upcoming ODI World Cup, which is slated to begin on October 5. In such a case, the star all-rounder is very likely to miss the five-match Test series against India, starting January 25.

Speaking about the same, the 32-year-old mentioned that he wants to stay absolutely fit for the upcoming English summer, and hence, the plan is to undergo surgery right after the ODI World Cup. He will not bowl in the meantime and will only play as a specialist batter in the marquee tournament. 

“I know what's going to happen, I just don't think now is right time to say what I'm doing,” Stokes told reporters on Thursday ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand," Ben Stokes was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports. 

“I've been having some good conversations with some specialists. There is a plan in place. It's nice knowing after the World Cup we've got something, a really good plan we can do, and we can stick to." "I want to be playing next summer as a genuine all-rounder. This winter is all about playing this World Cup, then getting this knee sorted,” he added.

The landscape of cricket is changing in front of our eyes very quickly: Stokes

A lot of cricketers recently have turned down central contracts to sign lucrative deals with franchises. Speaking about that, Ben Stokes stated that he understands that the landscape of cricket is changing rapidly. He is also aware that things like this may also happen in his team.

“We've got to understand, and I've got to understand as a captain, that there might be some decisions players make and I'm very comfortable and aware that something like that might happen. But it's up to the individual and I think having a good and clear understanding that the landscape of cricket is changing in front of our eyes very quickly, makes things like this a bit more easy to understand, if players were to choose to do something like that," he concluded.