Ben Stokes broke a cardinal rule for cricket coaches by sustaining a severe black eye. The England cricket player shared a photo on Instagram displaying his facial injuries, including a badly bruised eye, facial scratches, and a bandaged nose. Despite the injuries, the 34-year-old humorously remarked, “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”
The cause of Stokes’ injuries was revealed to be during a coaching session at Durham’s indoor facility, where young player Robbie Bowman accidentally struck him with a ball. Stokes was promptly taken to the hospital, and coach Ryan Campbell mentioned that Stokes acknowledged breaking the key coaching rule of not turning away from the batter.
Stokes, who is recovering from a groin injury suffered during the final Ashes Test, is anticipated to make a return to action for Durham soon. He plans to participate in several county championship matches before England’s upcoming Test against Australia in June.
Despite facing various challenges, Stokes, contracted with England until the end of the 2027 Ashes series, is contemplating a coaching career post-retirement. With 120 Test appearances for England already, Stokes remains a prominent figure in the cricketing world.
In other news, Sky has introduced a discounted Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, providing over 1,400 live matches across different sports leagues, including the Premier League and EFL. Sky offers a substantial number of live Premier League games each season, along with coverage of Formula 1, darts, golf, and more.