London [UK], April 5 (ANI): Ben Stokes, captain of England's men's Test team, has identified the country's ongoing domestic red-ball season as the key route for players aiming to earn a national call-up, especially in Test, as England gear up for a highly anticipated home summer. Stokes said that the ongoing County Championship season is 'a great opportunity' for cricketers around the country, according to the ICC website.

England will host New Zealand for three Tests in June and will then also have Pakistan touring the country in August, for three Tests. Apart from the Tests, England will also host India for five T20Is and three ODIs in July. They will also host Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs in September.

Ben Stokes said the domestic season offers a valuable chance for players across England to showcase their talent, adding that the current pool of cricketers is exceptionally strong and among the best the country has had in a long time.

'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 said as quoted by the ICC website.

Ben Stokes was set to play for Durham in the County Championship but is currently recovering from a broken cheekbone sustained while helping out in the nets in February. The England all-rounder is expected to return to action by May.

Ben Stokes emphasised that the opening weeks of the County Championship are crucial, urging players to use this period to strongly push their case for national selection.

'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 said

The 34-year-old had last featured for England in January, when the visitors faced a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Australia in the Ashes Down Under.

England currently occupy the seventh spot in the ICC World Test Championship Standings with six losses from 10 matches and a Points Percentage of 31.670 in the ongoing 2025-27 cycle. (ANI)