Ollie Robinson will return to Test cricket on Thursday with a ringing endorsement from his skipper.
Robinson replaces Matthew Potts as the only change to the side that was humbled by an innings at Lord’s last week. The Sussex seamer has not featured for England since completing a miserable finish to the Ashes in Hobart in January.
And in both Australia and then subsequently in the Caribbean in March the 28 year old struggled to make it on the field due to injury and fitness concerns. Stokes believes those issues are now behind the beanpole bowler, who has the skills and the qualities to get good batsmen out.
“Ollie has deserved his call back up to the squad initially,” said Stokes. “And everything that we've seen in the training days and how he's been around the group is exactly what we want.
“I think we all know the quality of a bowler he is because when he’s played for England his skill set is incredible. I'm very excited for him to be able to put the England shirt on again, and it's something that he's worked very hard for and he fully deserves it.
“It’s obviously been a very difficult time for Ollie because it wasn't the fact that his form was letting him down. It was his body. He can look back on that and use it as experience and it is something he’s grown from and he’s learnt a lot about himself in the process.”
The England management at the time were scathing about Robinson’s fitness or lack of, and hauled him over the coals in a very public way. Stokes went about things more privately, but it is clear that the message has got through to the bowler who showed great stamina in his five-wicket performance for the Lions against South Africa.
“I was very honest and truthful with Robbo,” added Stokes. “I feel that's something people deserve. Rather than just have a conversation to get through it easily, I'd rather let him know exactly where I stand.
“It enables him to go away and work on what has been asked of him and all I can say is he's done that to the absolute extreme. He's worked hard behind the scenes and all the feedback Robbo has got from myself, the coach, the people who have helped him get where he is now has been nothing but positive.”
England Team v South Africa for 2nd Test
Lees, Crawley, Pope, Root, Bairstow, Stokes (c), Foakes (wk), Robinson, Broad, Leach, Anderson
