Ben Stokes: England add all-rounder to Ashes squad
- Published
Stokes took a break from cricket in July to rest his injured finger and prioritise his mental wellbeing
All-rounder Ben Stokes has been added to the England squad for the 2021-22 Ashes Test series in Australia.
The 30-year-old was given the all-clear by his consultant and the England and Wales Cricket Board following a second operation on a fractured finger.
"I'm buzzing for the Ashes. Just buzzing," Stokes told the Mirror., external
"To be able to confirm to [captain] Joe Root that I would be available to join the tour from the start was a great moment."
Stokes added: "'Rooty' said it was great to hear me sounding so well.
"I feel much better about everything from my finger to my mental well-being and can focus on playing my best cricket.
"I had been struggling with bubble life and events off the field. I don't want anyone to feel the way I did, because I wasn't in a good place and I'm not afraid to admit it.
"I was in a real dark place and having some difficult thoughts, but now I realise talking is such a powerful thing and it has completely changed me."
Stokes withdrew from England's squad for the five-Test series against India in August to rest his left index finger, which he broke while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in April.
He was subsequently left out of England's T20 World Cup squad, but has recovered after having a second operation on his finger on 4 October to remove two screws and scar tissue.
The Durham all-rounder will travel to Australia alongside the Test specialists and the supplementary Lions group on 4 November.
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Stokes took a period of compassionate leave between August and October in 2020, missing two Tests, to be with his father Ged, who died in December last year.
He was rested for two Tests in Sri Lanka in January and, after returning for England's series defeat in India, missed the home Test series against New Zealand in June because of his broken finger.
Having led England to a series win against Pakistan, he captained Northern Superchargers in the opening two games of The Hundred before the ECB announced his "indefinite break from all cricket".
England managing director Ashley Giles said Stokes will "move forward cautiously" following his time away from the sport.
"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 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 was England's leading run-scorer in the 2019 series between the teams, with 441 runs at an average of 55.12, including an unforgettable unbeaten century that helped secure a memorable win in the third Test at Headingley.
The five-Test Ashes series is due to begin on 8 December and end on 18 January.
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England squad for Ashes tour
Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Schedule
8-12 Dec 1st Test, Brisbane (00:00 GMT)
16-20 Dec: 2nd Test, Adelaide (d/n) (04:00 GMT)
26-30Dec: 3rd Test, Melbourne (23:30 GMT, 25-29 Dec)
5-9Jan: 4th Test, Sydney (23:30 GMT, 4-8 Jan)
14-18 Jan : 5th Test, Perth (02:30 GMT)
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