Ben Stokes added to England’s Ashes squad and ‘Ready for Australia’ | England cricket team

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Ben Stokes has given England a major boost after being added to the Ashes squad, announcing his readiness to return to competitive cricket after a long break.

The English multi-level rider missed the summer Test series against India and missed the T20 World Cup, prioritizing his mental health and allowing his broken left index finger to fully recover. Stokes initially sustained the injury in April in the Indian Premier League, but despite the surgery, he was still experiencing discomfort, which was a factor in him giving up on the comeback at the end of July.

However, he had a second operation to remove two nails and scar tissue earlier this month and fueled speculation that he is ready to face Australia this winter by enthusiastically filming himself hitting and dribbling the ball into the net. Having secured clearance from his advisor and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s medical team, Stokes gave captain, Joe Root, and head coach Chris Silverwood a welcome boost after announcing he would head to Australia alongside the Test specialists and the Lions’ Supplementary celebration on 4 November.

“I took a break to prioritize my mental well-being and my finger was sorted,” Stokes said. “I am looking forward to seeing my teammates and being on the field with them. I am ready for Australia.”

Stokes was England’s top scorer in the 2019 streak between the two teams, scoring 441 times with an average of 55.12, including an unforgettable undefeated century that helped Root a highly unlikely win at Headingley.

England’s plans for Australia have already taken a hit with Jofra Archer and Ole Stone sure to miss out on injury, although Silverwood has made it clear they haven’t put pressure on Stokes about a comeback. Shortly thereafter, Stokes – who missed the 2017-18 season series against Australia due to his involvement in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub – posted a photo of himself properly catching a bat for the first time in six months. He’s been posting Instagram videos of his training recently and is now ready to go, having last played cricket on the 26th July per cent, just days after returning to England duty on short notice to captain a temporary team to a 3-0 clean one-day streak. sweep Pakistan.

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Ashley Giles, managing director of men’s cricket for England, warmly welcomed Stokes’ return, but insisted that gradual steps should be taken over the coming weeks to ensure the 30-year-old is as prepared as possible for an international return. “After having a very successful operation on his finger and having had many conversations over the past few weeks between me, 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 an important role in the Ashes series.” Time and time again, he has shown Ben how important he is to the England team and making him available to the Ashes series is excellent news for all of us, and in particular, Chris, Joe and the rest of the players.

“Having not played for some time, we will proceed with caution over the next few weeks to ensure he is fully prepared in all aspects of his game. Before a very busy period of cricket, we remain aware of the pressures that all of our staff are under, and our primary focus remains on the well-being of all our players and staff. supporters.”

England’s first test against Australia is set to begin in Brisbane on 8 December, with the five-match series concluding in Perth on 18 January, although issues with Covid could lead to changes.

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