Ben Stokes’ before and after surgery photos. (Pics credit: Stokes’ posts)

England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he underwent successful surgery after suffering a nasty facial injury when he was struck by a cricket ball during a nets session. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 34-year-old all-rounder shared images of his swollen and bruised face on social media last week, showing a heavily blackened eye, a graze across his cheek and lip, and a bandage in his nose. Adding a touch of humour to the worrying incident, Stokes captioned one of his posts: “You should see the state of the cricket ball.”On Tuesday, Stokes updated fans from the hospital with another photograph, confirming that the procedure had gone well.

“May not look like it but the surgery was a success,” he wrote, reassuring supporters while also highlighting the seriousness of the injury. Reports suggest that the England skipper was not batting or bowling at the time and was instead standing beside the nets when the ball struck him.The surgery comes at a challenging time for Stokes, who has just returned to England following a disappointing Ashes tour that ended in a 4-1 series defeat to Australia. While he has reiterated his desire to continue leading the Test side, his long-term captaincy remains under scrutiny as the England and Wales Cricket Board conducts a review.Stokes has been absent from England’s white-ball setup since the 2023 World Cup and is not part of the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. His next appearance could come in county cricket for Durham before England’s home Test season begins against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 4 — a match that coincides with his 35th birthday.