Table of Contents
Nasser Hussain has strongly criticized the cricket scheduling in England, highlighting the impact of excessive cricket across various formats on player health and performance. His comments came in the wake of England Test captain Ben Stokes being ruled out of the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka due to a hamstring injury.
Ben Stokes’ injury
The injury occurred during a game in ongoing The Hundred Men’s 2024, where Stokes was playing for the Northern Superchargers against the Manchester Originals. The 33-year-old all-rounder suffered the injury while taking a run, and it is expected to sideline him for the series. Stokes hopes to recover in time for the Test tour of Pakistan starting in October. His absence is a significant blow to England’s plans, as Stokes has been a key player in recent series.
Stokes had previously undergone knee surgery last November and opted out of the T20 World Cup earlier this year to focus on his fitness for Test cricket. Despite a strong performance, including taking five wickets in a 3-0 series victory over the West Indies this summer, Stokes suffered a hamstring tear during The Hundred.
Also READ: Ben Stokes ruled out of the entire English summer; ECB appoints new captain for the Sri Lanka series
Nasser Hussain’s criticism
Hussain has voiced strong criticism regarding the congested cricket schedule in England. According to Hussain, the proliferation of various cricket formats – such as T20 matches, 50-over games, Test cricket, and The Hundred – has led to excessive strain on players.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hussain remarked, “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,”
Impact on players and their workload
Hussain also compared Stokes’ situation to that of Jofra Archer, who has faced a series of injury problems. Archer missed several games for Southern Brave due to workload management issues, a situation Hussain believed reflects a broader problem within the cricketing calendar.
“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,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
Consequences of a packed cricket calendar
Hussain concluded his critique by addressing the consequences of the overloaded cricket schedule, linking it to both player injuries and the quality of 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,” Hussain concluded.
