IT’S WRONG TO BRING HIM BACK SO SOON

DID England think they could just sneak him on to a plane without anyone noticing? Did they really believe they could take the first steps towards slipping Ben Stokes back into the Ashes while everyone was looking the other way worrying about Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt? That is what it looks like. That is why yesterday’s news of England’s suspended talisman travelling to New Zealand to visit family — and play a bit of cricket — came as a complete shock. Perhaps they should have realised that the sight of one of the most recognisable cricketers in the world lugging his gear through Heathrow might have been a clue. The ECB could hardly expect Stokes to travel incognito when everyone has a camera now. It was all over social media like a rash. Andrew Strauss had every opportunity to tell everyone on Monday that Stokes was heading to New Zealand, but he did not. Why, it might even have stopped the media concentrating on how Australia have won the PR battle off the field even more convincingly than the Test on it since the last day in Brisbane. Bairstow’s headbutt would have been forgotten. Instead the first everyone knew about Stokes was when Twitter all but exploded. So it now looks as if all semblance of morals being adhered to and the tarnished image of the game being repaired have been suddenly forgotten. This looks like a desperate quick fix. We are looking at another Ashes thrashing in Australia here, lads. Quick, send for Ben and never mind the consequences. There is no doubt now that there has been a shift of the agenda. The ECB looked sure to take a

stand and leave Stokes out of all cricket this winter when those shocking images of that night at the Mbargo Bar in Bristol appeared in The Sun. He had been warned several times about his behaviour but clearly he had not listened and now had to learn his lesson. So much for that. This all seems so premature. Is Stokes not still the subject of a police investigation? Should England not wait for the outcome of that inquiry before they rush him to the other side of the world to play for Canterbury? He is meant to be suspended. Does this mean he could play for Durham if it were the English summer? Does this mean he will gain a No Objection Certificate — permission for him to take part in an overseas domestic tournament — and be able to cash in on the IPL next April as if nothing had happened? There are no bail conditions for Stokes so he is allowed to leave the country — and did not have to tell police he was travelling — while being under investigation for causing actual bodily harm. But why the rush? There still seems some way to go in the legal process. England giving their permission for Stokes to play for Canterbury in his native Christchurch on Sunday is the first step towards him being cleared to take on Australia here. It has to be. And I for one still think that’s wrong. Yes, the absence of such a special talent as Stokes has cast a cloud over the whole series and possibly robbed the public of a compelling battle. Many want to see him back in the side. But not yet. The short-term gain does not justify the longterm pain. Cricket is desperate to attract a family audience but instead it is labelled with allegations of a drinking culture. If the next step is clearance for Stokes, it will look as if expediency is more important than doing the right thing. And I would prefer another 5-0 defeat to that.