England all-rounder Ben Stokes will return to international cricket in the Ashes, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday. Stokes said he is “ready for Australia” after taking a break from cricket. The five-match Ashes kicks off with the first Test in Gabba, Brisbane, from December 8.
“I had a break to prioritize 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,” said Ben Stokes in the ECB statement.
“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 ECB men’s cricket director Ashely Giles
Our primary focus continues to be the well-being of all of our players and support staff: Ashley Giles
“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.”
Stokes had taken an indefinite break from cricket to focus on mental health. He last played for England in an ODI against Pakistan in July. He fractured his left index finger during the first match of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). Stokes also missed the second leg of the IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup.
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