England Captain Ben Stokes Doubtful for Sri Lanka Test Series After Injury

England's Ben Stokes may miss the Test series against Sri Lanka due to a suspected hamstring injury. The injury occurred during a domestic match, and Stokes is awaiting scans to determine its severity. Vice-captain Ollie Pope may step in as skipper if Stokes is unavailable.

England captain Ben Stokes is in doubt for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a suspected hamstring injury during a domestic match on Sunday. Stokes pulled up sore while attempting a quick single for the Northern Superchargers against the Manchester Originals in The Hundred competition at Old Trafford and was subsequently forced to leave the field, as reported by the ICC.

The all-rounder later appeared on crutches but returned to the dugout to watch his team secure a narrow seven-wicket victory. Stokes is scheduled to undergo scans on Monday to assess the injury, casting doubt on his participation in the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Manchester on August 21, according to teammate Harry Brook.

'It doesn't look great, unfortunately, but he'll be getting a scan tomorrow to see how he is,' Brook told Sky Sports, as quoted by the ICC. If Stokes is ruled out, vice-captain Ollie Pope could step up to lead England. The team aims to continue their winning momentum and secure vital points for the ICC World Test Championship final.

England recently achieved a 3-0 series sweep against the West Indies, moving up to sixth place in the World Test Championship standings. Stokes had made a successful return to bowling during that series after struggling with injuries last year.

Following the series against Sri Lanka, England are set to travel to Pakistan in October for another three-match series. England squad for Sri Lanka includes Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, and Mark Wood.

Series schedule: First Test: Old Trafford, August 21-25; Second Test: Lord's, August 29-September 2; Third Test: The Oval, September 6-10.

(With inputs from agencies.)