Aussies expecting Stokes to travel to Ashes
AUSTRALIA spinner Nathan Lyon says he expects Ben Stokes to feature in the Ashes, despite the England all-rounder’s ongoing hiatus from competitive cricket.
Stokes took an extended break from the game in July, citing his mental wellbeing and the need to fully recover from a fractured left index finger.
England have made it clear that they will not put any pressure on him to return to action, with head coach Chris Silverwood saying the ball is in Stokes’ court regarding any comeback.
He was absent from the main Ashes squad and the supporting Lions group but a series of social media posts in recent days have detailed his enthusiastic return to training, raising expectations among fans that he could be preparing to reenter the fray this winter.
And Lyon, who was one of the Australia bowlers taken apart by Stokes during his unforgettable match-winning innings at Headingley two years ago, has also been paying attention.
“I’m expecting him to come,” Lyon told Cricket.com.au.
“I hope he is. You want to play against the best players in the world. Stokesy is the best all-rounder in the world. He’s an X-factor, a game changer, and you want to play against these sort of players.”
Meanwhile, Dom Sibley has pulled out of the England Lions trip to Australia, effectively ending his Ashes hopes, with Yorkshire’s Harry Brook called up as a replacement.
Opener Sibley played 22 Tests before being dropped against India this summer but was handed a lifeline when he was invited Down Under with the second string Lions squad.
That 14-strong group will fly out on November 4 with the senior side, provide training and warm-up opposition and shadow the early part of the tour as ready-made reserve players. But Sibley has decided not to travel.
The 26-year-old, who averages 28.94 in his England career but 19.77 since the start of 2021, has instead chosen to hone his technique at home.
While that move is said to be with an eye on reclaiming his place, by removing himself from the set-up he is taking a significant gamble and allowing others such as Durham’s Alex Lees and his own opening partner at Edgbaston, Rob Yates, to leapfrog him in the pecking order.
A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “After much thought and consideration, Warwickshire batter Dom Sibley has made the decision not to tour Australia with the England Lions.
“Sibley has decided to spend the winter working on his batting at home in a bid to regain England selection.”
For Brook, the news provides a chance to capitalise on a breakout season that saw him named young player of the year by both the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the Cricket Writers’ Club.
The 22-year-old was an eye-catching performer for Northern Superchargers in the inaugural season of The Hundred but also showed his red-ball potential with two centuries and five fifties for Yorkshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.