“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.”
Stokes’ presence will be a major shift in how the Ashes series may play out,after his heroic performances during the last series,notably his Headingley masterpiece to snatch a certain victory from Australian hands.
It will also be the first time Stokes has played an Ashes series in Australia since his Test debut in Adelaide in 2013,where he was a rare player of promise for England in Australia’s 5-0 whitewash. He missed the 2017-18 series in the aftermath of the infamous Bristol nightclub fracas.
For much of this year there had been serious doubts about when Stokes might return to play,having spent most of 2021 unable to close his bottom hand around the bat. Recent surgery resolved the issue and led to hopeful talk of his possible return.
However England’s captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood still had to plan for an Ashes series without him,and a squad was named with no clear idea of whether Stokes would be available. The news that Stokes will not only take part in the Ashes,but also be able to fly out with the England squad to Australia on November 4,is a significant tilt in the balance between the teams.
“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,” England’s director of cricket Ashley Giles said.