Ben Stokes Set for Durham Return as England Test Captain Prepares for Summer

Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, is set to make his long-awaited return to competitive cricket for Durham in the County Championship against Lancashire this week. Stokes' last competitive match was in the final Test of England's tour of India in March, where he bowled just five overs due to a troublesome left knee.

Since then, Stokes has undergone surgery to clear out the knee issue and has been gradually building up his bowling intensity. He has ruled himself out of the upcoming T20 World Cup to focus on his Test summer, where he aims to play a full part with both bat and ball.

Stokes' return to Durham is a major boost for the team, who are currently fifth in Division One of the County Championship. Head coach Ryan Campbell believes Stokes' presence will have a significant impact on the squad and the competition as a whole.

"We're looking to kickstart our season and we're looking forward to welcoming England captain Ben Stokes back into our team for the first time - it will be absolutely awesome," Campbell said. "I suggest if you've got a few days over the weekend you get down to Blackpool and watch the great Ben Stokes return for Durham."

Stokes' return to bowling is particularly important for England, who have struggled to balance their team without a seam-bowling allrounder. Men's managing director Rob Key is encouraged by Stokes' progress and believes he is feeling pain-free for the first time in a long time.

"Ben in particular is feeling, for the first time in quite some time, that he is bowling pain free, and is able to bowl almost, straight away, into his top end speed," Key said. "And he's not having to go through pain barriers all the time to do it. I think he feels liberated by the fact the knee op has been a success and he feels he can now look to this part of his career being able to do both things, which is always a big thing for an allrounder."

Stokes is expected to play four red-ball matches for Durham before the first Test against West Indies on July 10. It is still unclear whether he will be available for Durham's Vitality Blast campaign, which begins on May 30.

Tags: #BenStokes, #Durham, #CountyChampionship, #EnglandCricket, #TestCricket