BEN STOKES REINSTATED AS VICE-CAPTAIN FOR ASHES AS JOFRA ARCHER ALSO IN ENGLAND SQUAD

BEN STOKES has been reinstated as England's vice-captain - 18 months after he was stripped of the job in disgrace.

England's World Cup hero has been handed the role back for this summer's Ashes series against Australia having lost his position in the wake of his late-night fracas in Bristol in 2017.

1Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer have been named in the England Ashes squad to face AustraliaCredit: Getty - Contributor

Stokes has been named as part of a 14-man squad for the First Test against Australia next week - which also includes pace bowler Jofra Archer.

Archer, 24, has been named in an England Test squad for the first time and could make his debut in the clash against the Aussies, which begins on Thursday at Edgbaston.


The bowler looks to have recovered from the side strained that troubled him during the World Cup and has been groomed to become England's premier strike bowler.

Stokes' return to a senior role in the side completes a remarkable transformation for the Durham ace, 28, less than two years after his career was on the line.

Footage emerged of him and team-mate Alex Hales involved in a fight outside a bar which led to him being left out of the last Ashes series in Australia.

Since then he has worked to restore his reputation, and that redemption came when he helped England seal a dramatic World Cup final win over New Zealand this month.

Now the ECB have put the seal on his comeback from the brink by giving him the key role as understudy to captain Joe Root.

Jimmy Anderson has also been included having missed this week's warm-up match against Ireland through injury.

England squad for First Test at Edgbaston: Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.