Ben Stokes’ Return To England Squad For South Africa T20s A Huge Bonus, Says Mike Atherton

THE return of star all-rounder Ben Stokes is “a huge bonus” for England ahead of their white-ball tour of South Africa, says Mike Atherton.

Stokes was integral to England’s Test series victory over West Indies at the start of the summer but left the squad after the first Test against Pakistan and missed the remainder of the English season for family reasons.

The 29-year-old returned to action for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in October and is now in line-up to make his England comeback in the T20I series against South Africa, but will be rested for the one-day internationals that follow.

“He’s a world-class player, who is probably England’s most important cricketer across all formats actually,” Atherton told Sky Sports.

“To have him back is a huge bonus for the team. He’s going to be rested for the second half of his white-ball series, for the one-day