Pushing the boundary

AUSTRALIA batsman Peter Handscomb, who was dropped after the second Test, is regarded by the England squad as being responsible for the worst sledging of the series. Handscomb, who played for Yorkshire last season, is understood to have instigated the wholly inappropriate comments to Jonny Bairstow that breached Cricket Australia’s code of conduct.

BEN STOKES is now so far off the ECB’s radar that the Ashes touring party were left unaware that he had gone to play for Canterbury in New Zealand at the start of the month and also out of the loop that he was returning home for Christmas.