Ben Stokes hasn't played competitive cricket since July 26, when he played for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred due to an injury.
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Ben Stokes will return to cricket after a four-and-a-half-month break in the first Test of the 2021-22 Ashes, giving England a major boost in their bid to win in Australia for the first time in 11 years. Stokes hasn’t played competitive cricket since July 26, when he played for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred due to an injury. He did not play in England’s series against India, withdrawing from the squad days before the first Test due to a need to focus on his mental health, and was not considered for selection for the T20 World Cup.
But, after undergoing additional surgery on his left index finger, which he broke during the IPL in April and did not fully recover from, he has returned to low-level training in recent weeks, which will ramp up ahead of England’s departure to Australia on November 4.
“I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” Stokes said. “I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for 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,” Ashley Giles, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, 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. 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,” Giles added.
Stokes last played for England in the ODI series against Pakistan in July, when he was called in to captain the team after Eoin Morgan and the rest of the squad were forced to isolate themselves due to a number of Covid-19 positives. He batted twice and bowled a few overs as England won the series 3-0, but he only played twice in the Hundred after that before retiring from the format for good.
England announced their Ashes squad earlier this month, with Stokes absent and head coach Chris Silverwood emphasising that no timetable for a comeback would be set. A day later, Stokes shared a photo of himself gripping a bat handle on social media, followed by video of his first hit in the nets since surgery. He tweeted a video of himself bowling last week.
England’s Ashes preparations had already been hampered by the injuries to two of their fastest bowlers, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone. Stokes’ return will help the team in all areas, especially the batting, where only three players have Test experience in Australia.
