Ben Stokes to Make Hundred Return for Northern Superchargers

Ben Stokes, England's Test captain, is set to make a highly anticipated return to the Hundred this summer, three years after his last appearance in the tournament. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Stokes has been made available by the ECB to play the second half of the group stage for Northern Superchargers, where he will be reunited with his former England teammate Andrew Flintoff, who is now the team's head coach.

Stokes' return to the Hundred is a significant development, as he has not played in the competition since its inaugural season in 2021. Despite being named in England's squads, he has opted to rest between Test series to manage a chronic knee injury. However, he has now been cleared to play four group-stage games for the Superchargers, starting with an away fixture against Birmingham Phoenix on August 6.

Stokes' previous appearance in the Hundred was marred by a severe panic attack, which he has since spoken about openly in his documentary "Phoenix from the Ashes." The incident prompted him to take a break from the game later that year.

The Hundred's schedule this year coincides with the third Test against West Indies, which means that England's star players will be unavailable for the first week of the tournament. However, the batters will be released to play straight after the Test, while the allrounders and bowlers will be made available from August 6 onwards.

In addition to Stokes, several other notable players have been confirmed for the Hundred. Tim Southee has replaced Naseem Shah at Phoenix, while Mitchell Santner will deputise for Daniel Sams at Superchargers. Riley Meredith and James Neesham have signed short-term deals as cover for Joe Root and Zak Crawley respectively.

The ECB is expected to confirm a number of injury replacements on Thursday, with Will Smeed and Tash Farrant both set to miss the competition with hamstring injuries.

Tags: #BenStokes, #Hundred, #NorthernSuperchargers, #AndrewFlintoff, #EnglandCricket