London: England all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the Test series against Pakistan for family reasons.
Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand, said an ECB statement.
He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl (starting) on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August.
Stokes’s parents Ged and Deb still live in New Zealand where he was born. Stokes will be leaving the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand to meet his family. Stokes will miss the last two Test matches of England vs Pakistan series at the Ageas Bowl on August 13 and August 21.
Stokes has played all four Tests so far this summer, captaining his country for the first in Joe Root’s absence in the series opener against the West Indies, but will now fly to New Zealand later this week.
The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family’s privacy at this time.
Ben Stokes was England’s vice-captain in the first Test vs Pakistan at Old Trafford on Saturday. England defeated Pakistan in the first Test by 3 wickets, to take 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.