Stuart Broad reveals Ben Stokes' plans during Sri Lanka Test series

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has revealed that Ben Stokes will maintain a hands-on approach with the England cricket team during his brief absence due to injury. 

Stokes, who has been sidelined from the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a hamstring tear while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred 2024, remains committed to guiding his team.

In Stokes' absence, vice-captain Ollie Pope will step up to lead England, who are riding high on the momentum from their 3-0 series sweep against the West Indies. England's recent form has seen them steadily climb the standings in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, despite a challenging start with tough series against India and Australia.

Broad, speaking to the PA News Agency, shared that Stokes had already reached out to him, expressing his intent to stay engaged with the team's preparation and strategy. 

“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," Broad told.

The injury to Stokes, while unfortunate, has not deterred his determination to remain involved. Broad supported Stokes' decision to participate in The Hundred to maintain his match fitness, highlighting the importance of staying active during the off-period.

“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?'" he said.

Broad emphasized that match practice, rather than just nets, was crucial for maintaining Stokes' competitive edge.

“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," he said.

Despite the setback, Broad sees a silver lining in the situation. He suggested that Stokes' absence provides England with an opportunity to experiment with team composition, a scenario they might face in the future. 

“There’s not much you can do about a hamstring really. It’s not as if he landed awkwardly or anything, he was just in deceleration mode. It’s a real shame for the Test-match team because he looked so fit. He’s worked so hard on his fitness," Broad remarked.

“But to use that old sporting saying of ‘take the positives’, it actually gives England the chance to play against Sri Lanka with a make-up of team without Ben Stokes, that they are going to have to trial at some stage. Stokesy hasn’t been able to bowl for a year-and-a-half but has been playing as a batter. What happens the night before Brisbane in 18 months’ time if Stokesy’s not very well?" the former pacer concluded.