mobile app bar

‘I’m ready for Australia’: Ben Stokes is back in English squad for the Ashes 2021

Rishikesh Sharma
Published

'I'm ready for Australia': Ben Stokes is back in English squad for the Ashes 2021

Ben Stokes has finally announced that he will be back in the English squad for the upcoming away series against Australia in December.

Ahead of the Ashes 2021, England have announced a piece of astonishing news. The talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes is all set to make his return in the Ashes 2021 squad. It was looking like Stokes will miss his second continuous away Ashes, but he is finally back in the team.

Ben Stokes has not played a single game since July due to a finger injury and mental health issues. He recently had a second operation on his injured finger. Although, he has started light training in England. The gun all-rounder, whose Headingley heroics are still fresh, was not a part of England’s 17 men initial Ashes squad. English coach Chris Silverwood also denied putting any timeframe for the return of Ben Stokes.

Ben Stokes on Ashes 2021 return

Stokes announced on Monday that he has recovered from his mental fatigue and finger injury. The 30-year old is now “ready to return to competitive cricket” after being cleared by all the doctors.

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

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

Stokes is not a part of the English T20 World Cup squad, after suffering a series of index finger injuries and mental health issues. He last played for England in July, where he served as the short-term captain. Although, he just bowled a handful of overs in the series, whereas he also didn’t bat much.

Ashley Giles, England’s managing director of men’s cricket has also expressed his joy on the news.

“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.”

“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.”

About the author

Rishikesh Sharma

Rishikesh Sharma

x-iconlinkedin-icon

An engineering graduate and an ardent sports fan, Rishikesh Sharma is covering cricket for three years now after not making peace with a corporate life and has written more than 5000 articles. While Sourav Ganguly made him fall in love with the sport, Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir enhanced it. Apart from cricket, Rishikesh is a huge fan of Liverpool FC. When not watching sports, you will find him riding around Jaipur.

Read more from Rishikesh Sharma

Share this article