Ashes 2021 | I am ready for Australia, says Ben Stokes after his addition to England’s Ashes squad
Ben Stokes has stated that he is ready to return to competitive cricket after a four-and-a-half month break, and will join England's Ashes squad. He further added that he is looking forward to seeing his teammates, and is hopeful of being with them on the field for the first Test of the Ashes.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes in July announced that he is taking an indefinite break from cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing. Stokes has not played any competitive cricket since July, and missed the Test series against India at home. Later, citing his mental well-being and fractured left index finger sustained during the first leg of IPL 2021, the 30-year-old pulled out of the T20 World Cup selection.
However, the star all-rounder has announced that he is fully fit mentally and physically to make a return to international cricket. Stokes has been included in the revised England squad for the 2021-22 Ashes.
"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.
Ben Stokes was an integral part of the England squad in the 2019 Ashes at home. The Durham all-rounder amassed 441 runs from 10 innings at an average of 55.12, and scalped eight wickets. Speaking on Stokes’ return, Managing Director of England men's cricket, Ashley Giles stated that the availability of the 30-year-old has been an excellent new for the England team ahead of the Ashes in Australia.
"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."
With Ben Stokes returning to the squad, England will be eyeing their win in Australia for the first time in 11 years.
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