England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the remainder of the three-match Test series against Pakistan due to family reasons, the country's cricket board announced on Sunday.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), however, did not specify the exact reasons for his pullout.
"Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand. He will miss England's two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl starting on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August," the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
"The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the Stokes family, requests that all media respects the family's privacy at this time."
The 29-year-old Christchurch-born Stokes is a very important member of the England setup and has produced many match-winning performances in recent years, including his heroics in the 2019 World Cup final and the Ashes hundred.
Hosts England won the opening Test by three wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
