Robinson Back In England Side After Pushing Himself To The Extreme, Reveals Stokes

Ben Stokes has revealed Ollie Robinson pushed himself "to the absolute extreme" to win back his England place after concerns were raised over his fitness for international cricket.

- Rory Dollard

Robinson has replaced Durham's Matthew Potts in the attack for the must-win second Test against South Africa at Old Trafford, his first appearance in seven frustrating months.

The Sussex seamer last played in the final match of last winter's Ashes, a series that saw his conditioning publicly called into question by bowling coach Jon Lewis as he struggled to meet the full demands of the five-day game. He was reduced to a watching brief in the subsequent tour of the West Indies, ruled out of all three Tests due to back spasms, and had an interrupted start to the county season due to a variety of unrelated issues.

England were never likely to give up on the 28-year-old, not with 39 wickets from his first nine appearances and an enviable average of 21.28, but they needed to know he was willing to put in the hard yards they required to restore faith. A strong showing for England Lions during their recent tour match against the Proteas confirmed he was in more robust shape and Stokes paid tribute to his efforts after confirming his recall.