PAK vs ENG: Ben Stokes missing 1st Test due to 'bigger picture'

England Test captain Ben Stokes has explained why he is not playing the 1st Test match against Pakistan. Stokes said that he has opted out keeping the bigger picture in mind.

In Short

• England play Pakistan in a 3-match Test series
• Ben Stokes is not playing the 1st Test in Multan
• Stokes explains the reason behind skipping 1st Test

England captain Ben Stokes explained the reason behind skipping the first Test against Pakistan in Multan. England begin their 3-match Test series on Monday, October 7, where they will not have the services of their talismanic all-rounder.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes explained that he opted out of the first Test keeping the big picture in mind. Stokes suffered an injury during the men’s Hundred competition in August and has been out of action since. Stokes missed the three-match home series against Sri Lanka in August-September 2024 and is now set to miss the first Test vs Pakistan as well.

“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this first game, but I’ve taken the call to miss this one,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports.

“I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready. There is a lot that has to go into my rehab program. We got to a certain point, but looking at the bigger picture and physically where I’m at, I’m not quite ready to play,” he added.

Despite travelling with the squad and participating in training sessions, Stokes has been careful with both bat and ball, raising doubts about his fitness level. Last week, Stokes hinted that he might not be able to bowl at the beginning of the series. Though there was optimism about his participation, it became evident that he hadn't yet reached full match fitness, prompting the decision to rest him for the first Test.

Stokes originally injured his hamstring on August 11 while playing in The Hundred for Northern Superchargers, where he was forced to leave the field and later ruled out for the rest of the English summer. His absence is a significant blow for England, as his experience and leadership and the combination with head coach Brendon McCullum has been instrumental in their recent successes.

England's XI for the first Test

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope (C)
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Jamie Smith
7. Chris Woakes
8. Gus Atkinson
9. Brydon Carse (Debut)
10. Jack Leach
11. Shoaib Bashir