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England captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.
The all-rounder has not played since he was injured in August while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, and therefore missed his team’s win against Sri Lanka.
It was hoped Stokes would return to fitness in time to play in Multan, where the opening Test of the three-match series begins on Monday, but the 33-year-old confirmed he was not yet ready.
Ollie Pope will replace England’s captain, as he did against Sri Lanka.
“I’ve done my best to prepare for this game, but I’ve accepted to miss this one because I haven’t managed to prepare for the game yet,” Stokes told BBC Sport.
“There’s a lot to do in my rehab program. We’ve gotten to a certain point, but looking at the picture of what we have coming up and where I’m at physically, I’m not quite ready to play.
“It’s always frustrating to miss something. I have good things to focus on, so even if I’m not playing, I have a goal in mind.”
The second Test of the series, which will also be played in Multan, begins on October 15, and Stokes admitted he was “not sure” whether another ten days would be enough.
“I made an incredible effort and worked very hard with the medical team to get to where I am now,” he said.
“I think I’m further ahead than we expected. I’m going to work just as hard over the next 10 days to try to prepare for the second test. »
