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Ben Stokes: England skipper Ben Stokes has backed all-rounder Will Jacks' inclusion in the second Test of the five-match Ashes series, starting on Thursday. The 27-year-old returns to Test cricket after 2022, with Stokes choosing him over spinner Shoaib Bashir due to his batting capabilities.

"Since coming into the squad in Pakistan, he's turned himself into the cricketer that I always thought he could be," Stokes said on Wednesday. "He's incredibly talented, and I think he's gone from strength to strength from two-and-a-half years ago since the Pakistan tour."

"He's been playing so well -- it's great for us that we've got someone who's looking in pretty good order coming into a big Test match," he said.