Ben Stokes Reveals Near-Fatal Facial Injury

England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed he feels fortunate to be alive after a cricket ball struck him in the face during a coaching session in February, resulting in a broken cheekbone and other facial injuries.

The incident occurred while Stokes was working with young players at Durham's academy during an indoor nets session. Standing at the side of the net, he was hit directly by a ball driven by one of the academy participants. In an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board, Stokes described the moment: "I copped one straight in the face. Pretty nasty but, funnily, probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest." He credited a last-second turn of his head with preventing a more severe outcome, adding, "Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview, if I didn't turn my head round."

Stokes underwent major facial surgery to repair the damage, which he said left "a bit of a mess under here cheekbone." Despite the ordeal, he expressed relief at his recovery. "All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out, I've got out quite lucky. So pretty thankful for that," he stated. The...