'Allrounder' Ben Stokes is geared up to mark his return to the ongoing County Championship as Durham meet Lancashire at Stanley Park in Blackpool on May 17.
The game against Lancashire will be Stokes' first game in the County Championship since May 2022.
The star allrounder last played for England during their five-match Test tour of India in January-March. His last appearance for the Three Lions came in the Dharamsala Test.
Stokes' return to the County circuit has come after he pulled out of the IPL 2024 season and subsequently made himself unavailable for selection for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Durham's head coach Ryan Campbell is ecstatic at the return of Stokes and urged cricket fans to get down to Blackpool to catch a glimpse of the England red-ball captain.
"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 told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"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.
"Players always want to play against the best players in the competition. To have one of those players in our own team to show us the way, his experiences, it's unbelievable.
"Suddenly, there's an air of excitement around the place just because he walks in the room."
England men's managing director Rob Key informed the fans that the 32-year-allrounder is bowling "pain-free" and deemed his knee operation a success.
"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 on the BBC's Test Match Special podcast.
"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.
"It's one thing if you're batting; if you fail with the bat you feel you can contribute with the ball. If you take one of those away, it becomes a trickier game for allrounders."
