Captain Ben Stokes returned to the England team as he was named in the XI for the second Test against Pakistan beginning here on Tuesday. Stokes was declared to have recovered from an injury he had sustained in August.

The seamer all-rounder, out of action due to a hamstring problem, is one of the two changes in the England side that beat Pakistan in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs. Pacer Matthew Potts was included in place of fellow quick Gus Atkinson.

Stokes has replaced fellow all-rounder Chris Woakes while England have retained both spinners Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach.

According to the England team management, Stokes had no discomfort at nets in the last few days and was cleared by the medical experts for a comeback.

The 33-year-old last played in The Hundred, where he sustained his injury in August which forced him out of the home Tests against Sri Lanka and the opener versus Pakistan.

Stokes, however, believes England’s spin duo will have to do the bulk of the bowling given the likelihood the Test will be played on a used pitch.

“You would like to say that’s going to be more spin-friendly. You have got to give yourself some kind of a clue about what it’s going to do. So, coming back from injury, it does help things before we have bowled a ball, knowing we’re playing on a used pitch,” Stokes said.