Ollie Pope says Stokes fit to bat and bowl despite cramps

England vice-captain Ollie Pope said Ben Stokes, who retired hurt with cramps during the fourth Test against India, will recover and be ready to contribute with both bat and ball on Saturday.

Hyderabad: England vice-captain Ollie Pope said that his captain Ben Stokes would be fit to bowl on Saturday.

Speaking to the media at the end of the third day’s play against India in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Friday, Pope said that Stokes, who was forced to retire for the first time in his international career due to cramp in his left leg, should be okay and that he was just cramping down his leg, which managed to spread to his whole leg.

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“It’s probably just a build-up of the amount he’s pushed his body over the last four or five weeks. He’s obviously pushed himself to some serious limits so far, and that was probably just a build-up of it. I think he will be good to go tomorrow, I’m sure, with bat and ball,” Pope said.

“Everyone knows what a competitor Stokes is, and the lengths he’s prepared to push his body to get the job in hand done… There are times where you can’t take the ball off him,” said the England No. 3 batter, who scored a superbly paced 71.