'It's a great opportunity' - Ben Stokes urges players to use County Championship to break into England team

England captain Ben Stokes has applauded the County Championship and has urged players to use the red-ball tournament as a medium to break into the Test side ahead of the home summer. The Three Lions are due to play six Test matches in the coming months, three against New Zealand and Pakistan.

Stokes was left impressed by the number of talented players who have excelled in the County Championship in recent times and have broken into the England Lions’ setup. 

"I think it's a great opportunity for a lot of people around the country. Obviously, we had the Lions in Australia at the same time as we were, so you look at some of the players that are coming through that system at the moment. The talent that we have in England is just unquestionable. The pool of players, the talent that we have, it's probably as good as it's been in a very long time,” Ben Stokes was quoted as saying on the ICC website.

Stokes believes that the first half of the County Championship is extremely crucial for prospects to showcase their talents and make a case for their selection in the England Test side. 

The captain himself was due to feature for Durham in the County Championship, but got a broken cheekbone during a nets session. 

"The first six or seven weeks of Championship cricket, I think it's going to be a very big one and people should use that as an opportunity to push their case as far forward as they possibly can and I hope they're giving themselves the best chance of coming up for selection when we get together to do that," Stokes added.

Following England’s disappointing Ashes campaign, where they suffered a 4-1 series defeat to Australia, there are a few options that are up for grabs for a new player. With Zak Crawley’s opening slot a question mark heading into the summer, the likes of Asa Tribe (Glamorgan), Tom Haines (Sussex), and Ben McKinney (Durham) are expected to be in contention for an international call-up.

Similarly, the likes of James and Thomas Rew (Somerset) are also knocking on the door for the wicketkeeping slot currently occupied by Surrey’s Jamie Smith.