Alastair Cook has been included in the Essex squad ahead of Friday's T20 Blast match against Surrey at The Oval.

England released all of their players for the competition following the Test series with New Zealand, and the Eagles have taken the rare opportunity to include Cook in their plans.

"He's a class player, as everyone knows, and his presence will be a boost for us," head coach Paul Grayson told Essex's official website.

"We've had a difficult few weeks but I'm sure we'll turn things around, hopefully starting with a win on Friday night. Having Cooky around will boost everyone in our dressing room, he loves playing for Essex and we love having him around."

Cook is set to make his first appearance in T20 cricket for Essex since May of last year, but the England skipper is returning to a ground where he scored a century in the shortest format back in 2009.