Ben Stokes officially confirmed his availability to play international cricket again and has been restored to England’s Ashes touring group, which will sail for Australia on 04 November.
Stokes, who had been on an irregular basis due to a left index finger fracture, has been received the ‘all-clear’ by his physician and the ECB medical team to start practicing after a second surgery.
“I had a break to prioritize my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” Stokes was quoted as saying by the ECB.
Ben called me to say he was ready to return to cricket: Ashley Giles
“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.
“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.
“I’m ready for Australia.”
🇦🇺 #AUSvENG 🏴
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 25, 2021
“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 on December 8 with the opening Test at Gabba in Brisbane.
