Ben Stokes has revealed his plans to carry an eight-man pace bowling squad into this summer's Ashes to give him the resources to defeat Australia in five hectic Tests.

The biggest series in cricket is being squeezed into little more than a six-week period in June and July to create space for the Hundred in the peak summer month of August, meaning Stokes wants as many fit and firing fast bowlers as possible.

To that end he has told the England management and medical staff that he wants all his big guns ready for the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16 so he has enough firepower at his disposal to potentially rotate his bowlers throughout the series.

'We are in a great place now considering the first game we had last summer when we probably had three of four seamers to choose from,' said Stokes ahead of the start of the first Test here at the Bay Oval. 

'It would be great if we had eight quick bowlers to choose from going into this summer.'

The two big guns in Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad were due to share the new pink ball when England bowl in Mount Maunganui needing just four wickets to overtake Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose as the most prolific strike partnership in Test history.

They were due to be joined by Ollie Robinson, who has made himself one of the first bowling names on the England teamsheet with his performances over the last year, with Matthew Potts and Olly Stone in reserve here.

Stokes hopes his eight-man 'squad' will be completed by Jofra Archer, who returned to England action in the one-day series against South Africa last month, Mark Wood and any one of a number of fit-again hopefuls including Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher. 

There will also be a place in England's plans for Chris Woakes, still superb in English conditions.

'We will always want variety in our attack,' continued the England captain. 'We have the experience of Jimmy and Broady and you want some kind of an X-factor in there as your third seamer. I feel heading into the summer we're in a position where we've got that.

'We've got a great crop of fast bowlers coming through at the moment and that's exciting. I'd rather be in a position where I'm scratching my head about who to pick rather than only being able to choose from three or four.'

England have been impressed here with both Stone, whose progress has been stalled by a series of serious injuries, and Potts, left out of the tour to Pakistan but pressing hard for a place again here, perhaps in next week's second Test in Wellington.

'It's great to have Stone back with the group after a potentially career ending injury,' said Stokes. 'To see him back bowling quickly and aggressively is a great sign for us. And Potts is going from strength to strength for someone who hasn't played much cricket.'

Stokes, meanwhile, believes the message he and coach Brendon McCullum have sent to English cricket to play in their ultra-positive way is getting through already.

It was noticeable that the Lions were attempting to play in a particularly aggressive way in their 'Test' series in Sri Lanka, with Surrey's Jamie Smith making a 71-ball century in the drawn second game.

'I think it's great,' added Stokes. 'It's obviously disappointing for Alex Lees not to be involved in Pakistan and here but he's been able to go to the Lions and direct that message because he was with us last summer.

'Look at the way the lads went about those games, particularly with the bat. Jamie Smith is someone who's been talked about a lot and I think being in an environment where he's been able to express himself has given him confidence to play in this way. 

'It's great to see that filtering down from us down to the Lions and hopefully into county cricket too.'