Ben Stokes says ‘I’m ready for Australia’ as England hero added to Ashes squad in huge boost ahead of five-Test series Down Under

Ben Stokes has been added to England’s Ashes squad.

The all-rounder was left out of the initial travelling party to Australia but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed he will now play in the five Test series, which starts on December 8.

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The 30-year-old has been given the all-clear by his consultant and the ECB medical team following a second operation on his fractured left index finger.

He also took an extended break from cricket at the end of July to prioritise his mental wellbeing and recover from his injury but is now ready to return – giving England a huge boost.

“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.”

He will depart with the Test specialists and the Lions on 4 November. 

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Managing director of England Men’s Cricket, Ashley Giles, added: “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.

“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.”

His addition to the Test squad will not be a huge surprise for the Australia team as they were already fully expecting Stokes to be on the tour.

“I’m expecting him to come,” Nathan Lyon told Cricket.com.au.

“I hope he is. You want to play against the best players in the world. Stokesy is the best all-rounder in the world. He’s an X-factor, a game changer, and you want to play against these sort of players.”

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