Stokes was supposed to bat at his usual no.5 spot.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England's warm-up match against Sri Lanka President's XI in Colombo due to an abdominal issue on Friday (March 13).
Stokes was supposed to bat at his usual No. 5 spot against Sri Lanka President's XI during the tour match but he has withdrawn from the game on day one and later Ollie Pope came out to bat in his place.
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Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has been named as a replacement for Stokes, while England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the latest development in a press release while confirming that Stokes’ abdominal issue has no link to the global coronavirus pandemic.
An ECB statement reads: “England all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be at the ground today and is having abdominal investigations. Full reports are awaited from London. He will remain at the team hotel. To be clear, this is not a viral issue or linked to COVID-19.”
Noteworthy, Sri Lanka-England tour also looks in danger due to the global outbreak of coronavirus – which has declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday, as the virus has already started impacting cricket games after many sporting events across the globe with some international games being played behind the closed doors.
(With IANS Inputs)