The chances of Ben Stokes making England’s tour to South Africa in December rest on the diagnosis of a shoulder specialist, with the all-rounder ruled out of bowling for the remainder of the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah.
Stokes, who fell badly on the first day when attempting a diving catch in the field, spent Monday afternoon undergoing scans at a hospital in Dubai. A long-term prognosis is expected on Tuesday morning after the images were sent back to the UK overnight. The 24-year-old, who will bat in this Test only if the match situation dictates it, was seen leaving the ground at 1.30pm on the second day with his right arm still in a sling and accompanied by the team doctor, Rob Young.
While Stokes was always due to fly home at the end of the Test series and miss the limited-overs games that follow, the recovery time prescribed for his shoulder injury will dictate his availability for the tour of South Africa, with the team flying out on 10 December.
Ian Bell, who made 40, spoke of the need for the remainder of the team to cover Stokes’ absence. After James Taylor’s unbeaten 74 had taken England to 222 for four and only 12 runs behind Pakistan’s first-innings total, Bell said: “Stokes is all right but absolutely gutted. He’s going around with a smile on his face though. Hopefully it’s not as bad as people think.
“We’ve talked a bit about stepping up as a batting unit with one less man. Losing someone like Stokes with all those attributes means we’ll have to make that up. And the bowlers realise in the next innings they will have to step up again too.”
Taylor’s maiden half-century came in his first Test innings for three years, recalled to the side in place of the dropped wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, with the gloves handed over to Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow. Bell, who shared a stand of 42 with the Nottinghamshire right-hander in the afternoon, said: “He played brilliantly. It was a great way to go out and start [his Test career] again. He is a very good player of spin, has really quick feet and is very good sweeper.
“I really enjoyed batting with him as well. It shows good character to go back to county cricket and grind out runs. He has grabbed his chance and it is a good start for him to kick on. He has got a lot of ability, hopefully we are now going to see that over the next few years.”
Bell’s own returns in a year where he has averaged 27 with the bat have been questioned, with the 33-year-old admitting after the Ashes win during the summer that he had considered retiring from international cricket. He said: “It’s been a tricky little period for me but I’m starting to feel like my rhythm is coming back. I am working as hard as ever. I was gutted to get out [today] – like every time I’ve got a start.”
“I’ve set a standard over a period of time when I get start – I want to convert one of them into a match-winning hundred. I’m disappointed not to do it in this game but I feel like I’m going in the right direction.”
