ENGLAND KEEP STOKES OUT IN THE COLD
Ben left out of ODI side for Malan
TIME has run out for Ben Stokes to be involved in England’s one- day series in Australia as his exile from international cricket continues. The ECB are set to announce that Stokes will be left out of England’s squad for the five 50-over matches that follow the last Test here at the SCG and will be replaced by Dawid Malan.
It is another blow for Stokes, who remains suspended from international cricket while the Crown Prosecution Service decide whether or not to charge him with assault following an incident outside a Bristol bar in September.
England’s selectors were instructed to pick their best squad for the one- day matches while the police investigation continued but with the white-ball players due to leave for Australia tomorrow that cannot now include Stokes.
Only when the CPSPS either charge or clear Stokeses will the ECB board decidecide whether to pick himim for the later stages of this winter’s tour inn his native New Zealand ahead of a formal disciplinary investigation.
So England’s best player remains inn limbo but Alex Hales,s, who has been officiallylly cleared of any criminalnal wrong-doing Mbargo outside Bar, will Brisll Bristol’smake his return in the 50- over matches that begini iin Melbourne on January 14.
The ECB cricket disciplinary commission will only decide whether Hales, who has also been suspended by England, should be further punished for his part in the Bristol incident when Stokes’ fate becomes clear. Until then he is now free to return to Eoin Morgan’s one-day side.
Stokes returned to competitive cricket for Canterbury in Christchurch last month and was hopeful of being cleared to play some part in the Ashes. But as it became clear that his Ashes dream had died he returned to his Durham home. The ECB have made it clear they will alloallow Stokes to carrcarry oon playing domestic cricket, including cashing in on the lucrative Indian Premier League, but he will not play for England while a disciplinary cloud hangs over him.
At least the news will give Malan (above) a chance to cement his place in all forms of cricket with England after an encouraging winter that saw him record his first Test century in Perth.
Malan, 30, has been known more as a white-ball player with Middlesex and made a spectacular introduction to international cricket by smashing 78 off 44 balls against South Africa last summer. Since then he has played in nine Tests and now is viewed as an important player by England. But the wait for Stokes goes on.
Meanwhile, the one England bowler to do himself anything like justice in this series is preparing for his last Ashes Test in Australia accepting that he has yet to fully convince his doubters of his capabilities overseas.
Jimmy Anderson has had a decent series without ever setting the Ashes alight and accepts the jury in Australia will remain out on him even though he is closing in on Glenn McGrath’s record number of Test wickets for a fast bowler.
‘ It’s mixed really,’ said Anderson on his record in four Australian tours after England had arrived in Sydney yesterday. ‘ Our win in 2010-11 was obviously the highlight for me because I bowled as well as I have done anywhere during that series. But when you play away it can be difficult because you have to find different ways on different pitches and with Kookaburra balls.’
It remains extraordinary that England have gone throughout the Ashes without full-time fast and spin bowling coaches. No one has come up with any plan to dislodge Steve Smith, whose unbeaten hundred in the fourth Test draw meant he has batted for more than 30 hours in this series and faced almost 250 overs alone.
‘It’s going to take something special to get him out in Sydney,’ said Anderson.
Perhaps a bowling coach might help.