Ali: England can win Ashes without Stokes
All-rounder game for a promotion in the batting order
Moeen Ali says England can still win the Ashes on rival turf even if talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes is not in the party that travels to Australia.
Stokes was arrested last week on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and suspended from internationals until further notice following an apparent fight outside a nightclub.
The Test vice-captain was included in the Ashes squad despite reportedly injuring his hand in the incident that led to his arrest but there are doubts around whether he will be on the plane to Australia.
The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder was released without charge but remains under investigation. Ali, speaking after England wrapped up their summer schedule with a ninewicket win against a poor West Indies side in Southampton on Friday, acknowledged Stokes’ importance but said they could win without him.
“We all know how good a cricketer he is, what he can bring to the table and he’s one of the main players that we have, so it would be great to have him out there but let’s see what happens,” he said.
“If he’s not there, then we’re going to have to play well without him so I definitely feel that we can still win.”
Ali, named Man of the Series against the West Indies, said he was looking forward to the challenge of retaining the Ashes. England won the series when it was last held at home in 2015 but have lost two of the past three series in Australia 5-0.
“The wickets are actually really good out there,” said the 30-year-old off-spinner, who hit England’s secondfastest ODI hundred off just 53 balls in the third ODI against the West Indies.
England announced Ashes recalls this week for middleorder batsmen James Vince and Gary Ballance despite the pair’s struggles during their previous Test stints.
Confident of stepping up
The absence of Stokes could mean a move up the order for the elegant Ali, who usually bats at number eight in Tests but he said he would be comfortable with that. “Number eight is somewhere I’m kind of used to at the moment but if I’m told to bat seven I feel I’m capable of doing well and, hopefully, can show that I can go out there and play against their bowlers, play well against them,” he said.
“I’m very, very excited. It’s something that when you’re a young county player you’re always thinking you’d love to be on that sort of tour. I never, ever thought I’d be on a tour like this so to be going I’m very, very fortunate and I know that, hopefully, we’ll go out there and perform and win the Ashes.”