England have received a major boost ahead of this year’s Ashes series in Australia with Test captain Ben Stokes returning to training following his shoulder injury.
Stokes had been sidelined since the fourth Test against India in Manchester in July, where he claimed five wickets in the first innings and scored a marathon 141. The injury ruled him out of the series decider at The Oval, with Ollie Pope leading the side in his absence.
Initially expected to miss six to seven weeks, Stokes eased concerns over his Ashes availability by resuming net sessions with county side Durham.
With the first Ashes Test scheduled in Perth from November 21, Durham coach Ryan Campbell confirmed that Stokes has returned to batting.
“Stokes is back in training,” Campbell said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Over the last week, he’s started to hit balls and had a really good session. Scott Borthwick was throwing to him with (coach) Will Gidman for nearly two hours.
“The batting side of things is going very well but the bowling will take a lot longer. He is being treated very steadily,” he added.
England are also monitoring fast bowler Mark Wood, who has recovered from the knee injury sustained during the ICC Champions Trophy in February. Campbell revealed the pacer is close to full fitness and may feature for Durham in the County Championship next week.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed that Wood plays for us next week. If that happens, it’s not only great for Durham but also for England. He is extremely close to playing,” Campbell said.
Stokes’ return will be pivotal for England as they look to win their first Ashes series in Australia since 2011. Campbell stressed that the skipper’s involvement will be key but admitted doubts over whether he can manage the full workload across five Tests.
“The guy is so good because he makes your batting line-up deep and is a genuine force as a third or fourth seamer. He is going to bowl so many overs and can get you wickets…The way he goes about his work to recover just blows me away. It’s why he is one of the greatest all-rounders that’s ever been and it’s why he will be ready for Australia. He will leave no stones unturned, but can he play five Tests in a row with the workload he has? He will try, but I am not 100 per cent sure,” Campbell said.