ENG vs PAK | Ben Stokes to miss last two Tests due to family reasons
Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the Test series against Pakistan due to family reasons and will travel to New Zealand later this week. England and Wales Cricket Board have announced the news while requesting media to respect Stokes and his family’s privacy during this time.
After a miraculous come-from-behind victory against Pakistan to take a 1-0 series lead, England would have hoped to seal the deal in the second Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton but their campaign has now faced a major blow. England’s talismanic Kiwi-born all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the second and third Test of the series due to family reasons, ECB announced in a press release.
“England all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the #raisethebat Test series against Pakistan for family reasons. Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand. He will miss England's two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August,” the press release added.
While the reason for the travel is not known yet, ECB requested every member of the media to be respectful towards Stokes’ privacy and allow him and his family their own space to deal with such a scenario.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family's privacy at this time,” they added.