Ben Stokes named in England Ashes Squad

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has announced his decision to return to international cricket. England cricket was prompt to add Stokes to their 18-member Ashes squad that will leave for Australia on November 4.

Stokes went on an indefinite break to take care of his mental well being while carrying a left index finger fracture. He is now cleared by his consultant and the ECB medical team to resume training following a second operation.

“I had a break to prioritise 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.

Ben Stokes addition will boost England’s Ashes hopes after losing to Australia in the 2019 season. Stokes picked 8 wickets and scored 441 runs in the series including a heroic 135* which helped England win at Headingley, Leeds. He was England’s top run getter and overall second highest run getter in that edition.

England Ashes Squad:

Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow (wicket-keeper), Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

“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 series begins from December 8 at Gabba, Brisbane.