Perth: Ben Stokes’ participation in the Ashes would be an ‘absolute bonus’ but England are preparing contingency plans after writing off the all-rounder for the upcoming Ashes series, coach Trevor Bayliss said here Thursday.
Vice-captain Stokes was arrested in September after an incident on a night out in Bristol following a one-day international. He was released without charge, but remains under police investigation and is suspended by England. England had hoped the 26-year-old would join them later on in the tour but Bayliss suggested the team were now gearing up for life without him.
“If he turns up it’s an absolute bonus,” Bayliss told a news conference here Thursday. “If he did happen to turn up, I‘m sure he would slip back in easily.”
Stokes faces an ECB disciplinary investigation following the police probe and Bayliss had ‘no clue’ when he would next be available for selection. “It’s totally out of our hands. We have just got on with preparing as best we can. I have (written Stokes off),” Bayliss stated candidly.
“Having to replace Ben and the combination that we come up with requires doing a bit of both (batting and bowling). Moeen Ali is batting as low as eight for the last couple of years… that’s a waste. It’s a combination that we will get to as the team develop. We have had problems at the top of the order so having Mo at eight and (Chris) Woakes nine suited us. Now we have to think of something else,” added Bayliss.
England’s preparations were hit Thursday with pace bowler Steven Finn (knee) and Moeen (sore left side) sustaining injuries during training here.
Both players will undergo scans Friday and could miss the two-day warm-up match against Western Australia here this weekend. England then face Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide and Townsville before the first test starts November 23 in Brisbane.
Reuters