NEW DELHI: Few understand the ruthless power of a cricket ball better than England Test captain Ben Stokes, who suffered a severe facial injury and narrowly escaped losing his right eye after being struck on the face.
The 34-year-old all-rounder posted a picture on Instagram showing his right eye heavily swollen and bruised, a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage stuffed in his nose.
"You should see the state of the cricket ball," read Stokes' caption of the picture, alongside a laughing face emoji.
Stokes has returned to England following a difficult Ashes tour, which ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat to Australia last month. While the all-rounder has expressed his desire to continue leading England's red-ball side, his future remains uncertain as the England and Wales Cricket Board conducts a review.
England coach Brendon McCullum described some of the criticism and fallout from the Ashes as "out of order," defending the players amid intense scrutiny.
Stokes is no longer part of England's white-ball squads and will miss the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, which kicks off this weekend.
The next time fans may see him in action could be for Durham in the early rounds of the County Championship, before England's home Test series against New Zealand begins at Lord's on June 4 - coincidentally, Stokes's 35th birthday.
The all-rounder is currently focused on recovery after sustaining an adductor injury during the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January, keeping his comeback plans carefully measured.
