Stokes’ county coach says allrounder’s batting is progressing well in nets but questions if featuring in all five Ashes Tests is beyond him<\/p>\n
England have been given a major fillip with the Ashes on the horizon after skipper Ben Stokes and Mark Wood took the next steps in their recoveries.<\/p>\n
England Test captain Ben Stokes has resumed training and fast bowler Mark Wood is in line to return to action next week in a major boost to England’s preparations for the Ashes.<\/p>\n
Stokes missed the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval having hurt his shoulder in the previous match at Old Trafford in July.<\/p>\n
Durham head coach Ryan Campbell said the 34-year-old had started batting in the nets and he had no doubts about the allrounder’s availability for the Ashes series beginning in Perth on November 21.<\/p>\n
“Stokes is back in training,” the former Australia ODI wicketkeeper told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Over the last week, he’s started to hit balls and had a really good session. Scott Borthwick was throwing to him with (coach) Will Gidman for nearly two hours.<\/p>\n
“The batting side of things is going very well but the bowling will take a lot longer. He is being treated very steadily.”<\/p>\n
Campbell predicted it would take an ever-present Stokes in Australia if England were to be victorious in the Ashes series.<\/p>\n
But he had reservations over whether fitness issues would allow it.<\/p>\n
“The guy is so good because he makes your batting line-up deep and is a genuine force as a third or fourth seamer,” he said. “He is going to bowl so many overs and can get you wickets.<\/p>\n
“The way he goes about his work to recover just blows me away. It’s why he is one of the greatest allrounders that’s ever been and it’s why he will be ready for Australia.<\/p>\n
“He will leave no stones unturned, but can he play five Tests in a row with the workload he has? He will try, but I am not 100 per cent sure.”<\/p>\n
Wood, who has not played since February, was on the verge of returning to competitive action following knee surgery, Campbell added.<\/p>\n
“I’ve got my fingers crossed that Wood plays for us next week,” Campbell said. “If that happens, it’s not only great for Durham but also for England. He is extremely close to playing.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, England leg-spinner Adil Rashid says he has no intention of answering any Ashes call as he seeks to extend his career in the one-day game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rashid made his last Test appearance in January 2019 and has not played a first-class game since then, instead focusing on white-ball cricket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the 37-year-old leg spinner has never formally announced his Test retirement, leading to speculation in the English media that he could return to the longer format of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fellow spinner Moeen Ali answered captain Ben Stokes’ call in 2023 and ended his Test retirement after 18 months for the Ashes battle with Australia on home soil.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Asked on Tuesday, ahead of England’s T20 series against South Africa, what he would say should Stokes make the same call to him this winter, Rashid said: “It would be a no. I think I’m quite comfortable and confident of what I have been doing for the past seven years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I’ve finished red-ball cricket, so I’m quite confident in my own game in that sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I’m sure It wouldn’t even come that way because the spinners coming through now are very good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“When they go there they’ll put good performances in, and I’m confident they’ve got the spinners sorted.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rashid made his 300th appearance for England in all formats during the recent ODI series against South Africa, which England lost 2-1.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He celebrates his 38th birthday in February, the same month the T20 World Cup starts in India and Sri Lanka, and wants to prolong his career for as long as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rashid said: “You take it game by game, series by series. But you obviously have that in the back of your mind of the age factor getting to 40 and 41.”<\/p>\n
The three-match series against South Africa, which starts in Cardiff on Wednesday and concludes at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge, accelerates England’s planning towards the T20 World Cup in five months’ time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They head to Ireland later this month before playing another three-match series, away to New Zealand in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A three-match series against Sri Lanka takes place before the World Cup gets under way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes<\/p>\n
First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1.30pm AEDT<\/a><\/p>\n Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D\/N), 3.30pm AEDT<\/a><\/p>\n Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 11am AEDT<\/a><\/p>\n Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT<\/a><\/p>\n