England declare Ben Stokes fit for second ODI against South Africa

England's Ben Stokes has been declared fit to bowl in Saturday’s one-day international against South Africa.

The England all-rounder had a scan on a sore knee, sustained during the first ODI at Headingley on Wednesday, but completed a training session today/on Friday morning and will be available for selection at Southampton.

It now falls to captain Eoin Morgan and coach Trevor Bayliss whether to play Stokes, with the Champions Trophy starting on Thursday. But the 25-year-old’s response since Headingley will have eased any fears.

Stokes bowled only two overs during Wednesday’s 72-run win over the Proteas in Leeds due to the pain in his left knee. A year ago, Stokes required an operation on the same knee after damaging it during a Test against Sri Lanka, at the same venue.

Stokes is a vital part of England’s plans to win the Champions Trophy and secure their first major global 50-over title. He can be devastating with both bat and ball and is an outstanding fielder. He also justified his £1.7m contract with Indian Premier League franchise Rising Pune Supergiant when he was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Speaking to Standard Sport earlier this week, Morgan cited a change of attitude as the key to Stokes’ rapid progress in the past two years.

He said: “has always been known as a hot-headed guy. When I see him now and compare him with how he was three or four years ago, he is really relaxed.

“When he was effing and blinding, throwing things around, people said he was ‘passionate’ and ‘lovable’ – but is that good for Ben? I don’t think so. Yes, he is passionate and he works hard, but he is now able to control his emotions a lot better.

“Now, if he is hit for four, he will be frustrated, but he will be able to understand what he has done wrong, or recognise that the batsman has played a good shot. It’s a huge stepping stone for him. It allows him to process things and learn more quickly.

“The stage he’s reached at the moment is very impressive. His game looks so strong and he looks so confident.”