Big Ben still miles away from Ashes inclusion...

ENGLAND captain Joe Root has all but admitted that he is resigned to star all-rounder Ben Stokes not playing any part in this winter’s Ashes series after the allrounder this week had his case referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Stokes will make his longawaited return to cricket in New Zealand on Sunday after Canterbury yesterday cleared him to join their squad ahead of their domestic 50-over match against Otago in Christchurch.

But with the CPS yet to decide whether he will be charged following his arrest on suspicion of causing Actual Bodily Harm in Bristol back in September, Stokes is as far away from playing for England again as ever despite his close geographical proximity to Australia.

The England & Wales Cricket Board reiterated in Adelaide this week there will be no change to their stance that Stokes remains unavailable for selection until a decision on whether to charge

> him or not has been made. Given the quickest the CPS could come to a judgment on whether to charge is around a fortnight, it means Stokes is all but out of the picture for the third Ashes Test in Perth, starting on December 14.

He could still be in contention for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne but even then, it would need a quick decision from the CPS not to charge him to make that even a remote possibility.

If Stokes is charged, it is unlikely the ECB would select him.

For Root, whose side are 1-0 down ahead of the second Test in Adelaide starting tomorrow, the likelihood of his vicecaptain being parachuted back into England’s Ashes squad appears remote.

“All of our planning and preparation has been without Ben so how we go about things won’t change,” he said.

“Obviously from my point of view anytime you can have Ben in your side and any opportunity comes along where he can play for England it would be great from a playing point of view.

“I would personally love to have him back. But these things are completely out of our hands and we just have to move on.

“Without the investigation being closed or moving forward, he won’t be able to play for England, so whether he’s here in Australia or New Zealand, back home, the stance is the same, for me as a captain – until that changes there is no point in thinking otherwise.

“It’s important not to, as a group, look and wish and want him to be here knowing he won’t be.

“As a team we’d love Ben to be part of the squad, but we have to move forward and make sure guys stand up.”

Root also says the situation has been spelled out to him in no uncertain terms by Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket.

“He’s been crystal clear on what’s happening with Ben,” said Root.

“He’ll be able to play and train with Canterbury. The rest of it is out of our hands.

“I could get upset and annoyed, but it’s not going to help anything.

“As a group, moaning or being disruptive about it won’t help us win games of cricket. We have to move forward.”

Root, though, did leave open the remote possibility Stokes could eventually be included in the squad. Asked if he had been told the 26-year-old was definitely not going to be involved in the Ashes, he said: “No I’ve not been told that at all.”