FILE PHOTO: Cricket - First Test - England v West Indies - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - July 11, 2024 England's Ben Stokes Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
(Reuters) - England will be without captain Ben Stokes for the rest of the English summer after he picked up a hamstring injury, with batter Ollie Pope taking over the captaincy in his absence, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old all-rounder, who tore his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred on Sunday, will miss their three-match test series against Sri Lanka.
"(Stokes) is aiming to return for England's winter test tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start in early October. The tour includes three test matches in Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi," the ECB said in a statement.
England will host Sri Lanka at Old Trafford for the first test starting on Aug. 21.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
