STOKES’ NIGHT OUT LEAVES LORD’S WITH A PAINFUL HANGOVER

Incident forces ECB to delay naming ODI squad and central contract talks

ENGLAND cricket chiefs are set to delay announcing the oneday squad for Australia in the wake of the Ben Stokes saga.

The new round of central contracts are also due to be revealed on Wednesday afternoon but, in light of current events, the England management are understood to need more time to work out where they stand.

From a cricket point of view, Stokes and Alex Hales would have expected to be automatic selections on both counts before their night out and subsequent investigations.

However, their current position of being suspended from England action, albeit on full pay, has thrown doubt over whether or not they can even be selected in a squad for matches in the future.

Stokes has already been announced in the Ashes squad after managing director Andrew Strauss instructed selectors to pick on form and fitness and nothing else.

But that was before a video emerged purporting to be Stokes in a street fight, with a man that looks like Hales (circle) also involved.

As a result selectors are unsure of their position, with Strauss unable to make the same request on selection, until he has ironed out what the suspension will allow them to do.

Mirror Sport understands the pair will still continue to be paid, even though their current deals, along with team-mates’, end today. And unless the police move forward with a charge, they will still be named on the central contracts list when that is eventually published.

It is likely the delay will not last longer than a week because there is time pressure on both groups to be announced swiftly.

The players either involved, or left out of the one-day squad, need to have an idea of what their winter will look like as soon as possible, so they can make plans accordingly.

For example, there are opportunities for players to make themselves available for the Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia, which runs during the one-day leg of the tour.

The award of central contracts affects both players and domestic counties, who are in the middle of recruiting for next season.

The removal or addition of an international class player onto the payroll could have a significant impact on several counties, many of whom are operating on tight budgets.

Strauss has been locked in high-level crisis talks for three days, since news of

Stokes’ late night escapade broke.

The Team England

Player Partnership (TEPP) is playing a central role, and current football League Managers Association chief, Richard Bevan, a former PCA chief executive, is also involved in the talks.