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After taking a sabbatical from cricket, Ben Stokes has been added to England's men's Test squad for the Ashes tour and says he is "ready for Australia."

Following a second operation on a fractured left index finger, the Durham all-rounder has been given the green light to return to training and will join the squad on November 4th.

Stokes stated in July that he would be taking an indefinite break from cricket to focus on his mental health, but now that he is back in shape, he says he feels reenergized.

“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 said.

Ashley Giles, managing director of England's Men's cricket, said Stokes's return to the squad was terrific news but he added due to lack of game time they needed to move cautiously. 

"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.

"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 has not played for England since July, when he cut short his injury rehabilitation to captain the one-day side against Pakistan at short notice following a coronavirus outbreak.

He was not included for the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup and was left out of England's initial Ashes squad.

The tour had been the subject of tense negotiations after England's players and their families expressed concerns over tough Covid quarantine restrictions in Australia.

However, the Australians will now be on notice that England's most likely match-winner will be facing them.

"It is obviously great news for England as Ben Stokes is virtually irreplaceable in any format. He's one of the great all-rounders in world cricket at the moment," said former England captain Nasser Hussain.