Cook says England's Ashes hopes rest on Stokes' fitness after blow

Sir Alastair Cook feels England's hopes for Ashes success next year rest on Ben Stokes' fitness, after the captain suffered yet another hamstring issue during his side's third Test against New Zealand.

Stokes hobbled off in visible discomfort after pulling up holding his left hamstring - the same issue which kept him out of four Tests after pulling up during The Hundred in August.

The severity of Stokes' fresh injury is not yet known, with assistant coach Marcus Trescothick telling TNT Sports: "I dont know anything about the injury, apart from that it's his left leg.

"Until he gets the scans and results of what comes back, we don't really know at this point. Of course, there's concern that it's the same leg, and we've had an injury in that area before.

"Until you get the medical results, I'm not really in a position where I can tell you what's happening."

Speaking on TNT Sports' The Edge, Cook highlighted the significance of Stokes' involvement, and feels his availability will be key to next year's Ashes series, which kicks off in November.

"It is tough," he said. "His involvement in the Ashes in 12 months' time - England won't win the Ashes without a fully fit Ben Stokes.

"Balance, what he does to the side, the importance of his bowling. Bowling rhythm, you can't just come back from injuries and it happens straight away. You need to keep on bowling.

"He's bowled a lot of overs, I think he was doing that for himself mentally, to say I can bowl 25 overs in a day. He did it, and it's almost the final hurdle and it's gone again.

"It looks like a fairly serious hamstring injury, it's not cramp, he knows the difference. It is a blow, because the balance he gives us, and ultimately, the way they play is led by him.

"We talk about Bazball, but it's led by Ben Stokes and Australia fear him. We're back to square one of will Ben Stokes be fit?"

Former England star Phil Tufnell, meanwhile, said he is "very sad" for the England captain after only recently returning from the same injury, especially in the circumstances of the third Test in Hamilton being a "lost cause".

"I feel very sad for Ben Stokes," Tufnell said. "He's put so much work, so much effort into getting himself fit and strong for this series and then for it just to go again, on really what is a bit of a lost cause at Hamilton.

"But that's the kind of fella he is. He wants to do the lion's share of the bowling, help the other fast bowlers out.

"Hamilton has just taken the gloss off this tour of New Zealand for England, not only the cricket, but it's just compounded then by seeing the skipper hobble off with yet another hamstring injury.

"They're quite tricky, hamstrings. He's a tough old boy, and he'll just be thinking 'I know what I've got to be doing now - got to get myself back into the gym, got to rehab, got to go through it all again'."

He added: "You can't go into any sort of sport covering yourself, or expecting an injury. It's part and parcel of it.

"You can't go out and bowl and want to be part of a bowling attack thinking 'I can only bowl 10 overs because I might go with my hamstring again'. It's either full-throttle or not, and that's the kind of guy he is."

Stokes surpassed 200 career dismissals during the Test series against West Indies in July, but has struggled to chalk up regular appearances since - missing the three-match series against Sri Lanka before also sitting out the first Test against Pakistan.

And Cook spoke of the captain's strong-willed nature - a trait he feels is both a positive and negative for the England star.

"This time, he rehabbed as well as he ever rehabbed," Cook said. "He is the type of guy that always pushes the boundaries on rehab.

"So you try and say just bowl 10 balls, he'll always bowl 15 balls. You bowl 20 balls, he'll bowl 30 balls, just because he always wants to get back quicker.

"He can't sit still, his strong willingness and his clarity is one of his great strengths, but can also fall into a little bit of a weakness.

"He probably didn't need to bowl, but he wants to bowl. He wants to do all the stuff, so he's going to have to do it again and fingers crossed he can stay fit.

"This might be the final thing where it's like, 'I'll only bowl 10 overs in a day now', because those 10 overs of him bowling are so important."