Ben Stokes ruled out for three months with fractured finger

ENGLAND allrounder Ben Stokes will be out of action for about three months after fracturing his finger while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday (16).

ECB said in a statement that Stokes, who is now in India will fly back home for a surgery in Leeds on Monday (19).

Stokes is very unlikely to be fit in time for England's home two-Test series against New Zealand, which begins on June 2. He is also likely be unavailable for the white ball internationals against Sri Lanka in June.

However, he should be recovered for the five-Test series against India, starting on August 4.

"It's a big blow but it's not the end of the world because Ben Stokes would have needed resting in this difficult scheduling year anyway," former England skipper Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports on Friday (16).

"But Ben Stokes gets very bored very easily and he won't want to be missing any cricket. But there is an Ashes coming up and a World T20 and an iconic series versus India, so it's a little bit of rest and getting him fit mentally and physically for a lot of cricket ahead."

Stokes, ranked as the second-best all rounder in the world, sustained the injury while attempting to make a catch in the deep off West Indies batsman Chris Gayle in an IPL game against Punjab Kings.