The flamboyant English all-rounder, Ben Stokes has been added to the Men’s Test squad for the Ashes tour of Australia. Stokes, who has been given a green signal from his consultant and the ECB medical team to resume training following his second operation on a fractured left index finger, will depart with the Test specialists and the Lions on 4 November.
The 30-year-old is ready to return to competitive cricket following his break from the game at the end of July to prioritize his mental wellbeing. Talking about his comeback to the national squad, as per teh quotes by the ECB, Ben Stokes said, “I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted. I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia.”
"I’m ready for Australia."
🇦🇺 #AUSvENG 🏴
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 25, 2021
Talking about the same, Managing Director of England men’s cricket, Ashley Giles said, “Following a very successful operation on his finger and several conversations over the last few weeks between Ben and I, our medical staff and his management team, Ben called me to say he was ready to return to cricket and was excited about the prospect of playing a significant role in the Ashes series.”
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He further elaborated, “Time and time again, Ben has demonstrated how important he is to the England team and having him available for the Ashes series is excellent news for all of us and, in particular, Chris (Silverwood), Joe (Root) and the rest of the players. Having not played for some time, we will move forward cautiously over the next few weeks to ensure he is fully prepared across all facets of his game.”
The five-match Ashes kicks off with the first Test in Gabba, Brisbane, from December 8.
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England’s updated Ashes Squad: Joe Root (C), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
