England have added Ben Stokes to their squad for the 2021/22 Ashes tour, in Australia. Stokes was given the all-clear by his consultant and the ECB after he had a second operation on a fractured finger on 4 October.
‘I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,’ stated Stokes. ‘I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I'm ready for Australia.’
In August, Stokes withdrew himself from England's five-Test series against India to rest his left index finger, which he broke while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the first half of the IPL 2021, in April. He was then left out of England's T20 World Cup squad as well. He has also been battling mental health issues.
He has now recovered after the operation on his finger, where two screws and scar tissue were removed. He will travel to Australia with the English contingent on 4 November.