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Stokes was added to England's squad for the Ashes on Monday
after initially being left off the list as he continues to
recover from mental health issues that had sidelined him since
June.
But Smith welcomed the all-rounder's inclusion for the eagerly
anticipated series, which is scheduled to begin on Dec. 8 in
Brisbane. "It's great that he's now available," said Smith.
"Anytime someone comes back from (mental health issues) it's a
great thing and we love coming up against the best players, so
it's great to see him going to be on the plane. "I think any
team's more dangerous when you've got someone like Ben Stokes
playing.
"It certainly adds a lot to their depth, but we're excited and
I'm glad personally that he's able to be back playing some
cricket. It makes for a really good series."
Stokes has also been dealing with a finger injury that required
surgery and which has kept him out of the Twenty20 World Cup in
the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Smith is currently in the Gulf participating in the competition
despite lingering issues with his left elbow, but the former
Australia captain is confident he will have few fitness concerns
by the time of the Ashes series.
"(My elbow) is in a good place, it feels really good," said
Smith. "I'm continuing with my strength work and my rehab stuff,
so I feel like I'm going well and progressing along nicely, so
I've got no real concerns (for the Ashes)."
After speculation England would not send a full-strength squad
to Australia for the Ashes due to the country's strict pandemic
regulations, Smith is looking forward to facing a strong side
led by captain Joe Root.
"It was always their decision whether they want to come out or
not, but we always want to have all the best players playing in
an Ashes series," he said.
"That's what it's about for an Australian or an English
cricketer. It's the main tournament in the long format of the
game for us.
"We're excited about this summer coming up, looking forward to
seeing some crowds back in Australia and hopefully having a
really successful summer of cricket."
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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