Ben Stokes added to England Ashes squad: "I'm ready for Australia"

Stokes, who has been taking an indefinite break from the game for mental health reasons and to aid with his rehabilitation from a broken finger, was confirmed on the roster on Monday

England have received a major boost ahead of the Ashes with the news Ben Stokes has been added to the touring squad for the series.

Stokes, who has been taking an indefinite break from the game for mental health reasons and to aid with his rehabilitation from a broken finger, was confirmed on the roster on Monday.

The allrounder and Test vice-captain 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 underwent a second operation on his left index finger early this month but has since returned to net training.

He posted a series of pictures and videos of himself in action with bat and ball on social media, sparking excitement that a return may be around the corner.

Stokes injured the finger during an appearance for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in April.

^{Ben Stokes is back in England's Test squad}

He played three times for England in limited-overs internationals during the summer - leading a makeshift 50-over side to series victory against Pakistan after the first-choice squad had been forced into Covid-19 isolation - and also turned out for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

However, he will go into the Ashes with no competitive red-ball action in the international arena since the tour of India in the spring. He did play one first-class game for Durham this summer, against Warwickshire in July.

Managing director of England men's cricket, Ashley Giles, 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."

Stokes's inclusion in what is now an 18-strong Ashes party significantly changes the selection options available to Silverwood and Root. 

^{Stokes has been recovering from a broken finger}

Aside from being the side's second most prolific batsman and a dynamic presence in the slips and close to the wicket, the allrounder adds enforcement overs with the ball, allowing a specialist spinner - most likely Jack Leach - to be picked.  

Regardless of the length of time Stokes has been out of the game, Australia will know that his return to the fold will make England a considerably more obstinate prospect this winter, as they seek to retain the urn.

Nathan Lyon, the offspinner, insisted last week that he and his teammates were preparing for Stokes to be picked.

He said: "I’m expecting him to come. I’m expecting Stokes to be out here and, to be honest, I hope he is.

"You want to play against the best players in the world and Stokesy is the best allrounder in the world. He’s an X-factor and he’s a gamechanger, and you want to play against these players, so I’m expecting Stokes to be here."

The players in England's senior and Lions squads who are not currently involved in the T20 World Cup are due to fly to Australia on November 4 prior to a period of quarantine.

The first Test against Australia is still slated to take place in Brisbane from December 8, despite Queensland enforcing additional coronavirus measures in recent weeks.

Further matches are set to take place in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth - though the fifth Test at Optus Stadium may well move given the strict nature of Western Australia's internal border controls and quarantine conditions.

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