All-rounder Ben Stokes returns for Ashes
English all arounder Ben Stokes has returned to the squad of the England cricket team. He came at a time when it was not expected of him that he would be able to come back due to the nature of his injury. However, he recovered, and will now be part of England’s Ashes touring party that will depart for Australia on Nov 4.
Ben Stokes had a left-hand index finger fracture and he was advised by the doctors to stay away from the cricket for as long as he fully recovers from the injury. He has already undergone two operations. With his announcement, it seems that he has recovered earlier than expected. He has been given the go-ahead by the medical staff of the England Cricket board.
“I had a break to prioritize my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” Stokes was quoted as saying by the ECB. “I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia,” he added.
“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,” said Ashley Giles, Managing Director of England men’s cricket.
“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.
“Ahead of a very busy period of cricket, we continue to remain mindful of the stresses on all our personnel, and our primary focus continues to be the wellbeing of all of our players and support staff.”
The five-match Ashes kicks off with the first Test in Gabba, Brisbane, from December 8.
Updated 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
