Ben Stokes reveals Ollie Robinson fitness battle behind England Test recall

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.

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's worked hard behind the scenes- Ben Stokes on Ollie Robinson

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.

“I was very honest and truthful with Robbo. I feel that’s something people deserve. Rather than just have a conversation and getting through it easy, I’d rather let him know exactly where I stand,” he said of the pair’s initial exchanges.

“That enabled him to go away and work on what has been asked of him. All I can say is he’s done that to the absolute extreme. He’s worked hard behind the scenes.

“I think it’s obviously been a very difficult time