'He Already Texted Me...': Stuart Broad Reveals Ben Stokes' Coaching Ambitions For ENG vs SL Tests

Starting on August 21st, the England cricket team is getting ready to take Sri Lanka on a three-match Test series. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury will cause top all-rounder Ben Stokes to miss the series. His absence will be noticed as England tries to provide a strong show against Sri Lanka in this next series.

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Stuard Broad reveals that Ben Stokes will coach England during the series vs Sri Lanka

Veteran England fast bowler Stuart Broad has revealed that Ben Stokes would be very active with the squad during his temporary absence from the pitch. After a hamstring strain he suffered while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Men's Hundred 2024, Stokes, head of the England cricket team, has been sidelined from the next three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the squad in Stokes' absence as England seeks to build on their recent 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies. England is steadily climbing the points table after a difficult beginning in the World Test Championship (WTC) comprising matches against India and Australia. Broad said Stokes had messaged him, saying he would be supervising some coaching duties during his break. Speaking to PA News Agency, Stuart Broad revealed: 

“He’s already texted me saying he’s going to be the coach so I don’t know what Baz (Brendon McCullum) is going to be doing," 

“He’s someone who likes to bat, likes to bowl. Ultimately you probably up your injury risk if you’re not playing any sort of intensity cricket.You can’t not play any cricket from the end of the West Indies series through to the start of the Sri Lanka series because your body will then be in the field the first day of Sri Lanka going ‘what are you doing, what’s going on?'" Broad added.

“You’re better off in a match than nets; I used to hate nets, I needed match intensity and The Hundred was the cricket that was going on that suited that the best. Not that he (Stokes) spent much time in the middle in his games particularly, but he was still playing for his mental sharpness against the world’s best players, Tim Southee etc,"

Broad discussed Stokes' injury's poor luck and backed his choice to take part in The Hundred to maintain his match fitness over the break. Stokes just scored four runs in three Hundred 2024 games. Tim Southee dismissed him for a golden duck in his first game back following a three-year layoff, and he failed to make an impact in his subsequent appearances either.