Ben Stokes 'got out lucky' after broken cheekbone in freak training accident as England captain targets May return - 'It was a scary situation'
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Published 15/04/2026 at 18:48 GMT+1
Ben Stokes has said he was fortunate to escape life-changing injuries after a freak training ground incident in February left him with a broken right cheekbone and requiring major surgery.
‘I have a ruthless side’ - Stokes eager for England to bounce back from Ashes loss
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The England Test captain sustained serious damage to his face while working in the nets with academy players at Durham not long after the culmination of the NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes series, which Australia won 4-1.
Stokes has not played competitively since that final Test in Sydney and, during an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) website, the 34-year-old acknowledged just how close he was to suffering a career-ending injury.
"It was a pretty scary situation," said Stokes, who has targeted a return for Durham in the County Championship at Worcestershire on May 8. "Pretty nasty but, funnily, probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest.
"I copped one straight in the face. Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview if I didn't turn my head round.
"All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out - it was a bit of a mess under here [cheekbone] - I've got out quite lucky. So pretty thankful for that."
England will be hoping to call upon Stokes' services when they begin their summer Test schedule against New Zealand on June 4.
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‘We’ve done a lot of damage to ourselves’ - Stokes looks back on Ashes loss
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Should he come through the two targeted County Championship matches with Durham in May - against Worcestershire and Kent - without showing any ill-effects from the injury, he could potentially feature for England Lions when they face South Africa A later that month.
Having undergone successful surgery, Stokes added: "It obviously set everything back about a month, with getting back to where I wanted to be to play at the start of the season for Durham.
"I just had to sort of quickly go back to the drawing board and put a plan together to get me ready to play a couple of games for Durham before the Test summer starts.
"I'm at the back end of all that now, but it was a pretty scary situation. Thankfully, still here and everything's all right."
Stokes is now fully focused on rectifying the wrongs of the Ashes drubbing over the winter.
The Test captain has firmly rejected any notion of a rift with head coach Brendon McCullum following the disappointing tour of Australia, emphasising that constructive disagreement is a cornerstone of effective leadership in sport.
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‘I’m keen to carry on’ - McCullum reflects on Ashes loss
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"So much has been said about style and manner - are we going to change or do this?" he added.
"I don't want people to think we all need to be playing this one mode. Whoever it may be, go out and play how you play.
"The version of yourself that got you into the position to [represent] England in the first place should be the version you carry on doing. That is a pretty clear message - you do you."
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