Ben Stokes undergoes “successful” surgery; Jofra Archer continues rehab at Sussex
Dom Sibley has been ruled out of Warwickshire’s next two County Championship matches after sustaining a broken finger at Trent Bridge last week.
Sibley, the England opening batter, broke the finger – the middle one on his right hand – when dropping a chance in the slip cordon. Although he was padded up and prepared to come in towards the end of a nail-biter against Nottinghamshire, he did not bat in the match.
The news means he will not be available for this week’s top-of-the-table contest between against Essex at Edgbaston or next week’s fixture against Durham.
Sibley will be reassessed at the end of this month ahead of any firm decision about his return to action. The injury should not impact his availability for the Test series against New Zealand which begins at the start of June.
Ben Stokes, who also sustained a broken finger while fielding in the IPL, has undergone surgery described as “successful” by an ECB spokesperson. His finger will be in a splint for the next four weeks and then reassessed. The ECB originally suggested he could be out of action for up to 12 weeks.
Jofra Archer, meanwhile, will train with Sussex on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from minor surgery and his long-standing elbow injury. Archer underwent the operation to remove a fragment of glass from a tendon in his hand sustained after an accident while cleaning a fish tank. He also received an injection in his right elbow. No decision has yet been made about his return to action or when he will be fit to travel to the IPL.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo