I am ready for Australia – Ben Stokes added to England’s Ashes squad

England’s talisman all-rounder Ben Stokes is now ready to make a comeback to international cricket after a hiatus. Stokes had taken a sabbatical from the game in order to manage his mental well-being and also to fully recover from his finger injury.

The all-rounder was recently seen hitting the indoor nets and had uploaded the video on his social media platforms. Thus, Stokes is now added to England’s Ashes squad for the tour of Australia and this will certainly be a boost for the Joe Root-led team.

Stokes had decided to take a break from the game just before the series against India and also didn’t take part in IPL 2021 and he is not part of England’s World Cup squad.

“I had a break to prioritize my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted. I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia,” Ben Stokes was quoted as saying in the ECB press release.

England’s managing director Ashley Giles revealed that Stokes had called him to say he is ready to play once again.

“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.

There is no doubt that Ben Stokes is going to add value to England’s squad and he will hold the key. However, it will be interesting to note whether the linchpin all-rounder will be able to hit the ground running or not after his hiatus.

The five-match Ashes kicks off with the first Test in Gabba, Brisbane, from December 8.

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