Ben Stokes back training at Durham amid links to England Captain role
Ben Stokes has been back training at Durham this week - as he's being tipped to take over the England captain role.
Ben Stokes has been back training at Durham this week - as he's being tipped to take over the England captain role.
The Durham cricketer stepped up his rehabilitation from a knee injury, bowling in the nets during his latest training session.
Stokes, who is widely tipped to succeed Joe Root as Test skipper, had scans after returning from last month's tour of the West Indies with a painful left knee and has been targeting a return to county action next month to tune up for the start of the international campaign on June 2.
The 30-year-old reported back for net practice at Emirates Riverside on Tuesday and has spent the last four days batting outdoors.
Stokes could play in a maximum of three championship games, at Worcestershire on May 5, at home to Glamorgan a week later and a trip to Lord's to face Middlesex on May 19. Durham are open to him playing as a specialist batter if required, but the initial signs are promising that the all-rounder's comeback in ahead of schedule.
Whether Stokes adds captain to his long list of roles when he returns to England duty remains to be seen, but the matter is sure to be high on the agenda of the newly-appointed managing director of men's cricket Rob Key.