“He should be fine, but we have got to be careful”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is likely to play the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai after recovering from a stomach illness.

Stokes missed England’s first training session in Dubai on Tuesday due to the illness, but he managed to participate in their practice session on Wednesday.

However, due to the scorching conditions in Dubai, England may opt to sideline Stokes should he not be 100 per cent fit.

“He’s had a virus, a 24-hour bug and he didn’t look very well yesterday apparently, but he’s here now for training and we’ll just see,” England captain Alastair Cook told reporters. “He should be fine, but we have got to be careful, it depends how badly he has been knocked about. Five days in this heat – you need to be 100 per cent before you start.

“I think he’ll be fine but we’ll see how he gets through training today and make a decision tomorrow morning. He’ll know how his body feels and how empty he is.”

Stokes put up a strong performance in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, which ended as a draw, as he took four wickets and made 57 in the first innings.