Ben Stokes added to England's Ashes squad against Australia

In a statement issued by the ECB on Monday, it was confirmed that Stokes will travel with England's Test players and the Lions squad on November 4.

Published : Oct 25, 2021 13:34 IST

File photo of Ben Stokes
File photo of Ben Stokes
lightbox-info

File photo of Ben Stokes

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been added to the squad which will travel to Australia for the Ashes series later this year.

In a statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, it was confirmed that Stokes will travel with England's Test players and the Lions squad on November 4.

“I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” said Stokes in the ECB release.

“I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia," he added.

ALSO READ | 

"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.

"He will depart with the Test specialists and the Lions on November 4," England's Managing Director for men's cricket Ashley Giles said.

"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," Giles said.

"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," he added.

Stokes had decided to take an indefinite break from the game in July earlier this year, citing mental health issues. He did not feature in England's home Test series against India earlier this year.

The first Ashes Test is scheduled to take place at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 8.

England's full squad for The Ashes: Joe Root (captain), 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, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment