AHMEDABAD: England star Ben Stokes could miss the World Cup opener against New Zealand due to a hip injury.
Defending champion England and the Black Caps will begin the 10-nation, 45-day showpiece tournament at Ahmedabad’s 132,000-capacity stadium on Thursday.
“He (Stokes) has got a slight niggle in his hip. Fingers crossed that it’ll be good news for us,” captain Jos Buttler told reporters.
“He is working hard with the physios and we’ll know more when the guys arrive for training today. We’ll make the right call: if he’s not fit to play, he’s not fit to play.”
The 32-year-old Stokes was selected for the World Cup as a specialist batsman after a long-standing knee injury ruled out his role as a bowler.
Harry Brook could be included in the team for his seventh ODI since his 50-over debut in January if Stokes misses out. (AFP)
