Ben Stokes: England add all-rounder to Ashes squad after recovery from finger operation
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 had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” said Stokes.
“I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia.”
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.
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.”
The five-Test Ashes series is due to begin on 8 December and end on 18 January.
England squad for Ashes tour of Australia
Joe Root (Yorkshire) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).
Ashes 2021-22 schedule
December
8-12 1st Test, Brisbane (00:00 GMT)
16-20 2nd Test, Adelaide (d/n) (04:00 GMT)
26-30 3rd Test, Melbourne (23:30 GMT, 25-29 Dec)
January
5-9 4th Test, Sydney (23:30 GMT, 4-8 Jan)
14-18 5th Test, Perth (02:30 GMT)
About Author
