In a significant development leading up to the highly anticipated Ashes series, England captain Ben Stokes has provided an update on his bowling capabilities, dispelling concerns over his long-standing knee injury.
As cricket’s oldest rivals, England and Australia, gear up to face each other in a five-match Test series commencing on June 16 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, Stokes has declared himself fit to bowl in the first Ashes Test.
During England’s training sessions in preparation for the series, Stokes showcased his readiness to take on the bowling duties by training with heavily-strapped knees. In the team’s three training days leading up to the opening Test, the talismanic all-rounder demonstrated his commitment to recovery and his determination to contribute with both bat and ball.
“The last three days (of training) have been really good for my confidence. I’ve bowled every day so far and increased in intensity day by day so I’ve got myself in a really good place to be able to bowl. What we have done over the last year is show how we want to play and get the best out of the team and the best out of the individuals,” said Stokes as quoted by The Daily Mail.
On Thursday, Stokes adjusted his training schedule, postponing his batting slot in order to focus on bowling around four overs on a training strip situated on the outfield. The session was closely observed by England’s bowling coach, David Saker, who monitored Stokes’ progress and provided valuable guidance.
Notably, the knee injury had prevented Stokes from bowling a single over during England’s recent victory against Ireland in the one-off Test at Lord’s. However, his current declaration of fitness to bowl in the Ashes series brings a sigh of relief to the English camp and adds another dimension to their bowling attack.
In addition to his bowling update, Stokes also shared his insights on how England intends to approach the recently crowned World Test Champions, Australia. The versatile all-rounder expressed confidence in his team’s ability to confront any opponent and stated that England would employ the same approach regardless of the team they face.
“We get asked a lot whether we’ll continue to play in this way against Australia and we’ve made it clear that this is how we play against any opposition because it’s worked more than it’s not. I don’t think there’s any question as to how we’re going to go about our cricket even though it’s against Australia,” added Stokes.
