BEN STOKES has sensationally been added to England’s squad for the Ashes tour.
The superstar all-rounder says he is in the right frame of mind to resume his international career after his problem left index finger improved dramatically.
Stokes will leave for Australia with the rest of England’s red-ball specialists on November 4.
He said: “I had a break to prioritise 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.”
Stokes, 30, has been on a break from cricket to prioritise his mental health and his return will be a massive boost to Joe Root’s team and England’s chances of regaining the little urn.
He broke his finger in April while playing in the Indian Premier League and underwent surgery. But he struggled with the injury all summer.
A second operation at the start of this month eliminated the pain Stokes had been feeling.
He has posted a series of photos and videos on social media that suggested the finger was healing rapidly and that his desire for cricket had returned.
He has been given the all-clear by his consultant and the ECB medical team to resume training following his second operation.
England team supremo Ashley Giles added: “Following a very successful operation on his finger and several conversations over the last few weeks between Ben, myself, 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.
“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.”
