England in crisis mode as strife stalks Stokes

ENGLAND coach Trevor Bayliss survived a terrorist attack in Pakistan eight years ago, but has made the frank admission that the unmitigated crisis involving Ben Stokes ranks right up there in the “top two” most difficult challenges of his career.

Bayliss did not sugar coat the magnitude of an ever-developing mess that has a fragile England now set to tour Australia without its best player and inspiring vice-captain who is suspended indefinitely.

Stokes faces police interviewing and a potential charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his alleged involvement in a brawl. Experts find it impossible to believe his current ban on playing can be overturned before the summer.

The respected coach admitted he was now facing arguably his toughest hour as he stares down the barrel of a tour that could be over before it begins.

It’s a huge call from a man who was in the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009 when it was shot at by terrorists in an attack that killed six policemen and two civilians.

“It’s right up there, probably in the top two I would have thought,” Bayliss said.

“It’s very difficult for everyone involved, something obviously we didn’t want to go through and hope we don’t go through again.”

Bristol police have ordered Stokes and teammate Alex Hales back to answer ques- tions over their alleged involvement in the fight and it’s expected charges could follow inside the next seven days.

Even if assertions from US television host Piers Morgan that the pair had come to the aid of two gay men being abused are proven true, Stokes’s hopes of avoiding an Ashes suspension appear almost nonexistent based on footage allegedly capturing him getting on top in the fight early before appearing to go on and beat an individual into submission.