"Welcome back my friend" - Joe Root reacts to Ben Stokes being included in Ashes squad

All-rounder Ben Stokes was added to England's squad for the Ashes in December on Monday as he made himself available after a mental health break.

After the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced his return for the tour Down Under, Stokes took to Twitter to share a picture of the Ashes trophy to signal his comeback.

Responding to that, England's Test captain Joe Root tweeted:

"One of the greats as a cricketer and an even better bloke. Welcome back my friend."

Apart from being a key player for England, Stokes is also the vice-captain of the Test team.

Ben Stokes recovers from finger surgery to give England Ashes boost

Apart from taking a break from cricket for mental health reasons, Stokes had also been nursing a finger injury suffered during the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

He had two surgeries on his finger and recently got back to training after recovery.

"I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted. I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia," Ben Stokes was quoted as saying in the ECB press release.

Speaking about his return, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Ashley Giles said:

"Following a very successful operation on his finger and several conversations over the last few weeks between Ben and I, our medical staff and his management team, Ben called me to say he was ready to return to cricket and was excited about the prospect of playing a significant role in the Ashes series."

Ben Stokes' last Test was the fourth match of the series against India earlier this year at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

He played in the subsequent ODIs and T20Is as well as the first half of the IPL, where he picked up his injury. Stokes then announced his break to prioritize his mental health.

The 30-year-old missed England's home Test series against New Zealand and India and then the second half of IPL 2021. He also chose to sit out the ongoing 2021 T20 World Cup.

Ben Stokes had missed England's last Ashes series Down Under due to a court case over a brawl. While England lost that series, Stokes played a key role as England managed to draw their last series against Australia in England in 2019.