England Test cricket head coach Brendon McCullum has asserted that his team will continue to play in the same intense fashion that they have done in the past.
"Ben's ability to bowl overs at the moment is still a bit of a challenge, but he's there as that batting cover. But with Moeen bowling well in good conditions - we go to Delhi [next] which has been turning - we think the balance of the side has been right."
Stokes was picked up for Rs 16.25 crore by four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the auction back in December last year. During England's last year's series with Pakistan, he had expressed his intentions to return to the competition after missing the 2022 edition of the league
The series starts with a pink-Ball day-night Test at the Bay Oval in Tauranga from February 16 to 20. The second Test is at Wellington's Cello Basin Reserve from February 24 to 28.
Jamieson recently made a successful comeback to domestic cricket in New Zealand, but an MRI scan on the affected area had picked up a suspected stress fracture of the back.
In 2022, test cricket made rejoicing come back to Pakistan, with successful recent series played there by Australia and England as well as a tour later this month by the current World Test Champions, New Zealand.