Malan set to replace Stokes in England’s one-day squad
● Batsman poised for selection as star man still waits for prosecution decision
Ben stokes is set to be replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia.
Stokes was named earlier this month in England’s squad for the forthcoming series, even though he remains unavailable for international selection.
The match-winning allrounder is still waiting to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the late-night fracas outside a Bristol nightclub on 25 September.
It is understood that, with Eoin Morgan’s white-ball specialists set to fly to Australia imminently for a series which starts on 14 January, the England and Wales Cricket Board is set to announce middleorder batsman Malan’s inclusion instead.
The ECB is also expected to name a Twenty20 squad for next month’s Tri-series against Australia and New Zealand in the coming days.
Stokes’ situation will become clearer only when the Crown Prosecution Service, which began considering his case at the end of November, advises police whether to charge him.
Only after the criminal case is concluded will a Cricket Discipline Commission rule on any further penalty for the 26-year-old, who has not played for his country since 24 September.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison indicated that the governing body will grant a no-objection certificate for Stokes to enter the lucrative Indian Premier League auction for a second successive year. He played a starring role in his maiden campaign for Rising Pune Supergiant, after signing a £1.7million deal.
Malan, meanwhile, is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team with a maiden century in last week’s defeat in Perth.
England conclude their Ashes campaign in Sydney this week and go into the final match 3-0 down after drawing the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow has given his unequivocal backing to under-fire England all-rounder Moeen Ali.
As England seek to break their 2017-18 Ashes duck in the final Test of five in Sydney, Moeen’s place in the team is being questioned after his miserable tour so far. He has mustered just three wickets at the alarming cost of 135 runs each and hit 136 runs at an average of under 20.
They are woeful statistics for a player who arrived in Australia as an inked-in selection but has been unable to recover his form after a side strain ruled him out of England’s first two warmup matches and then a finger injury on his bowling hand curtailed the effectiveness of his off-breaks.
Captain Joe Root predicted Moeen will do more “great things for England in the future”, but did not specify whether they may begin in the new-year Test at the SCG.
On his arrival in Sydney, however, wicketkeeper Bairstow appeared confident he will be taking the field with Moeen this week. Asked if the 30-year-old all-rounder is still in England’s best team, Bairstow said: “Absolutely, yes. The guy is second-fastest [England player] ever to 2,000 Test runs and 100 Test wickets. He wouldn’t have played the first four Test matches if he’s not in that first XI.”
Moeen’s paltry returns with the ball contrast with the success of his opposite number Nathan Lyon, who has taken 17 wickets. They include dismissing Moeen six times, every time Lyon has bowled at him in this series.
Bairstow added: “There aren’t many finger spinners who will come to Australia and bowl teams out.
“It’s very important we get behind Moeen. He can take a game away from you.
“Whether it be this next game, whether it be the first Test match in New Zealand, the talent and capabilities of Moeen Ali are unquestionable.”