Stokes fighting against time for Pakistan series

England captain Ben Stokes is fighting against time for the upcoming Pakistan Test series amid fitness concerns.

The all-rounder who missed a 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka due to hamstring injury, is set to undergo scans next week.

The 33-year-old sustained the injury in early August.

Despite his layoff, he has been actively involved in training, including a lengthy net session at Durham’s Chester-le-Street last week and participation in the Celebrity Pro-Am at the PGA Championship golf at Wentworth.

The first Test of the three-match series between Pakistan and England is scheduled to begin on October 7.

Earlier this month, Stokes expressed his intention to approach his return cautiously, prioritizing a full recovery over rushing back and risking further injury.

“I’d rather take an extra two weeks than run the risk of potentially doing something worse and then putting myself out of the game for longer,” he said.