England Captain Stokes Hit by Ball in Training

England Test captain Ben Stokes sustained a significant facial injury after being struck by a cricket ball during training, posting a graphic image on Instagram that revealed a heavily swollen and bruised right eye, a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage in his nose. The 34-year-old allrounder shared the photo shortly after returning home from Australia's Ashes tour, where England suffered a 4-1 defeat.

The incident occurred at Durham's indoor facility, where Stokes was not batting or bowling but standing to one side with teammates. Reports indicate he did not see the stray ball approaching before it hit the right side of his face. Despite the severity of the wounds, Stokes maintained his characteristic humor, captioning the post with "You should see the state of the cricket ball" accompanied by a laughing emoji. Fans responded with messages of support on social media, including wishes for a speedy recovery and encouragement for the England leader.

Stokes is also recovering from a groin injury he picked up during the final Test of the Ashes series last month. The allrounder has a history of setbacks, including two hamstring tears earlier this year and a shoulder issue that...