Australian batsman Steve Smith has welcomed the return of Ben Stokes to England’s Ashes squad, saying the talisman’s all-rounder makes Joe Root’s team a “more dangerous” proposition. Stokes announced this week that he would be available for the five-Test series in Australia. Taking a break from cricket to deal with mental health issues and finger injury.
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Smith conceded that Stokes’ presence would be a huge impetus for England, who enter the blockbuster series as an underdog after repeated failures.
“We love coming up against the best players and it’s great to hear he’s going to get on the plane,” Smith told Australian journalists from the United Arab Emirates.
“I think any team is more dangerous when you have a player like Ben Stokes, it adds a lot to their depth… it should make for a really good series.”
Smith said he was personally happy that Stokes had dealt with his mental health struggles after withdrawing from the game in July.
“Credit to Ben for being able to make that decision and walk away and make sure he’s able to go out and play and live his life,” he said.
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“Sometimes there’s more to the game of cricket than just being able to make a decision to step in and get approval from the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and I think everyone involved is really important. “
Smith said he had been putting himself into batting practice with an elbow injury, but did not expect it to be an issue for the Ashes, which is set to begin in Brisbane on 8 December.
“I’m still taking it easy, just making sure I’m batting for two days in a row, not three days in a row,” he said.
“I’ll build again as we get closer to playing some longer format stuff.”
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