England Cricket Update: Following the Ashes team announcement, England head coach and selector Chris Silverwood provided an update on Ben Stokes' recovery. The omission of star all-rounder Ben Stokes from England's full-strength 17-man team is due to his continued sabbatical from cricket to focus on his mental health. Stokes also hasn't entirely recovered from a finger injury.
The all-rounder was originally expected to miss the Ashes 2021-22 tour since he and England had not indicated when he would return to cricket after his sabbatical. Stokes also had to have a second operation on his fractured finger lately.
When asked if Stokes would be able to join the squad later, Silverwood remained unsure. Chris Silverwood stated he would not hurry Stokes' return in a video conference footage posted by the ECB, captioned "England coach Chris Silverwood today when asked if Ben Stokes could join the Ashes squad at a later date ----#Ashes2021".
The head coach stated that his top objective is for the all-rounder to make a full recovery and be able to perform well once he returns.
"I'm gonna go back to my old answer. I'm seriously not going to put any pressure on Ben whatsoever. Ben will come back when he is ready, he'll give me a call. We'll cross that bridge when we come to make plans when necessary. But first and foremost, my first intent is to make sure he's okay from a well-being point of view when he is back to perform."
Since August, Ben Stokes has been out of cricket on an extended basis. The 30-year-old will most likely miss the 2021 T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Stokes will most likely return during England's trip to the West Indies in early 2022, according to his finger injury's healing time.
Ben Stokes will miss his second Ashes series in a row.
Stokes' virtually inevitable absence means he will miss his second Ashes tour in a row. After his role in the street brawl and the disciplinary procedure that followed, the seam-bowling all-rounder was unable to participate in the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia.
His effort in the 2019 Ashes in England was outstanding, resulting in a 2-2 tie for the hosts.
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