England Withdraw Chris Woakes from The Hundred

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has withdrawn Chris Woakes from the ongoing The Hundred men’s competition following an injury to Ben Stokes on August 11. This decision comes as England prepares for their upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on August 21.

Woakes, one of England's top bowling all-rounders, had been representing Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. However, the team announced on Monday that the 35-year-old will miss the remainder of the season. Woakes was initially scheduled to play in Phoenix’s last two group-stage matches against Trent Rockets on August 12 and Manchester Originals on August 15.

The setback for England began when Test captain Ben Stokes injured his left hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on August 11. The injury occurred as Stokes sprinted for a run, causing him visible pain, and forcing him to leave the field immediately. After the match, Stokes was seen using crutches during the customary post-match handshake, raising further concerns about his availability for the Sri Lanka series.

Adding to England's worries, opening batter Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the squad due to a fractured finger. Should Stokes be unable to participate in the Sri Lanka Tests, Ollie Pope is expected to take over the captaincy.

The first Test between England and Sri Lanka will take place in Manchester from August 21 to 25.

England Squad for Sri Lanka Tests:

Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone

Sri Lanka Squad:

Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake