England captain Ben Stokes has been cleared to make his competitive return to cricket during Durham’s County Championship game against Worcestershire that commences on Friday.
Stokes hasn’t played at any level since England’s disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia at the start of the year that forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series, with the experienced all-rounder suffering a further setback when he fractured a cheekbone during a training session in February.
But the 34-year-old has since returned to full training and looks set to feature with both bat and ball during Durham’s four-day County clash with Worcestershire in Worcester that begins on Friday.
“He’ll be bowling for us, 100 percent,” Durham coach and former Australia international Ryan Campbell declared.
“In one of the innings he might even go with the new ball, that’s in our thinking.”
Stokes has a busy schedule ahead of him across the coming months, with England set to play a pair of three-match Test series against New Zealand and Pakistan as they try and stay in touch with the World Test Championship pacesetters.
England currently sit in seventh place on the standings following the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and will need positive results against the Black Caps and Pakistan to have any chance of featuring in next year’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
Campbell stressed Stokes’ main focus should be with Durham and an international return when England host New Zealand next month will follow.
“We’ve made it very clear, Stokesy is here as a member of our team to help win a game of cricket for Durham, not to get ready for England,” Campbell told the Press Association.
“I’m sure every England fan is delighted to see him back but we’re just happy to see one of our mates again.
“He holds himself to such high standards. He’ll be the first into fielding drills, throwing balls at people and hitting plenty himself.
“We’ve already spoken about Ben playing, how it brings more media and more eyes on a game.
“It adds another layer, not of stress but of responsibility to keep your own standards high. I’m really enjoying having him around.”
