Ben Stokes ‘can’t wait’ to make his return to the ‘pinnacle of Test cricket’ in the Ashes – and reveals England’s demolition of Aussies at the T20 World Cup was the first game he watched since his break from the sport
- Ben Stokes opened up on his eagerness to return to cricket in the Ashes series
- The talismanic all-rounder took a break from the sport for mental health reasons
- By the first Test’s start on December 8, Stokes will have been out for five months
- And Stokes revealed the first cricket match he viewed since he took his break
- The 30-year-old watched happily as England thrashed Australia by eight wickets
Ben Stokes has revealed he cannot wait to return for the Ashes against Australia this winter after his hiatus from cricket.
The talismanic all-rounder, 30, took time off from the sport to protect his mental health but recently announced he would return in time for the gladiatorial series in their old rival’s back yard.
And Stokes told Sky Sports he is desperate to be back playing in the ‘pinnacle of Test cricket’ as England look to win their first Ashes down under since 2010-2011.
Ben Stokes stated he cannot wait to make his return to the pinnacle of Test cricket in the Ashes
Stokes, who produced one of English cricket’s finest ever moments against Australia at Headingley in 2019, has recently returned from a hiatus he took for mental health reasons
He said: ‘I just took it day by day, step by step. I had fantastic support around me to help me through, and I’m just excited to get out there. I cannot wait to see everyone, and I’ve just really enjoyed my training the last couple of weeks, so it’s good.
‘One player doesn’t make a team, and although I know I’m a senior member of that team over the last few years, every member of that team is just as important as each other.
‘We’ve got the likes of Jimmy (Anderson), Broady (Stuart Broad) who have obviously been there, done that. Rooty – fantastic leader and England’s greatest-ever batter, so we’ve got everything to come back at Australia with what they’ve got.’
And the talismanic all-rounder revealed the first game he watched after his break was England’s eight-wicket win against old rivals Australia at the T20 World Cup (pictured)
Stokes, who produced one of the finest moments English cricket has ever seen with a match-winning Ashes performance against Australia at Headingley in 2019, also stated the first game he watched after his break was also against the Aussies.
‘You are playing at the highest level possible and the Ashes – for an Englishman in Australia, that is the pinnacle of Test cricket. It is the only series that is almost like a World Cup, because they are such rivals,’ he added.
‘The first full of game of cricket I actually watched since I took my break was England vs Australia. I actually text Jos (Buttler) saying: “I’m glad I chose that game to be the first one”, because it’s always great seeing England put in a performance like that, but even better against the Aussies.’
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