Former cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain has expressed his concerns over the cricket scheduling in England, arguing that excessive cricket across various formats impact the health and performance of the players.

His comments came after England Test captain Ben Stokes sustained a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred on Sunday (Augst 11).

Playing for the Northern Superchargers against the Manchester Originals, Stokes pulled up sore while attempting a quick single and was forced to leave the field.

As a result of this injury, the all-rounder has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. In his absence, No. 3 batter Ollie Pope will lead England in the home series that begins on August 21 at Old Trafford.

“Injuries happen in any sport, professional sport, it could’ve been a Blast game, or County Championship games. I don’t think the format got him injured. There are just too many formats of the game. There’s too much pressure on everyone concerned with the game, whether it’s the ground staff, umpires, players. Everyone wanting their piece of the pie, something has to give. Rob Key has to sit there and he’ll be under pressure,” Hussain said while speaking to Sky Sports.

“We hear James Vince at the toss, talk about Jofra. We are hugely disappointed that Jofra is not playing. James Vince says nothing to do with us, ECB have pulled him out. He’s a blow with a long-term history of injuries. You gotta look after your cricketers,” he added.

Stokes’ absence is a significant blow to England’s plans as he returned to the bowling crease with the West Indies series last month. The Three Lions will hope that their talismanic skipper recovers in time for the Test tour of Pakistan in October.

Nasser Hussain further addressed the consequences of the jam-packed cricket schedule, linking it to both injuries and the poor playing conditions.

“Everyone wants Ben Stokes to play in every format and a person who historically gets injured has got injured again. So, it’s a consequence of having Blast, Hundred, 50-over Metro Cup, County Championship, Test cricket in a county calendar and a calendar that’s only that finite, and in the end someone’s got to give your… Something why our pitch is slightly poor this year,” he concluded.