WE MUST LEARN HOW TO HANDLE THE ATTENTION
England star on the Stokes saga
MOEEN ALI has insisted England can win the Ashes without Ben Stokes as the selectors ponder his replacement following last week’s brawl in Bristol.
Stokes’s team-mates have mainly tiptoed around the issue since he was arrested in the small hours of Monday morning on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm to a man revealed to be a soldier who fought in Afghanistan.
But Moeen attempted to do with words what he did with the bat during England’s 4-0 one-day win over West Indies, and rally his team ahead of their departure for Australia at the end of October.
Asked if he a felt a Stokes-less England could defend the urn, he replied: ‘ Yes, otherwise I feel there’s no point in going out there. If he’s not there then we’re going to have to play well without him, but I definitely feel we can still win.
‘We all know how good a cricketer he is and what he can bring to the table. He’s one of the main players we have and it would be great to have him out there, but we’ll see what happens.’
Even if Stokes escapes a police charge, it is understood the ECB will not take him to Australia, leaving a place free in the 16- man squad. Batsmen Tom Westley and Liam Livingstone and seamers Liam Plunkett and Steven Finn have all been discussed as potential replacements.
And Stokes’s absence could mean Moeen moves up a place to No 7, a position in which he has scored three of his five Test hundreds and averages 68. At No 8, he averages just under 30.
‘The higher up the order, the better,’ he said. ‘I’d be very comfortable. I’m kind of used to No 8, but if I get told to bat seven I feel capable of doing well there. Hopefully I can show that I can go out there and play well against them.’
Australia’s fast bowlers are sure to pepper Moeen with short stuff, but the prospect doesn’t faze him.
‘It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘I played in Australia in the World Cup — it was white ball but the wickets are really good out there. I feel when you get in it’s a good place to bat.
‘The ball doesn’t swing as much and hopefully whatever number I come in, I can express myself. The good thing is I’ve played against them before. I don’t want to speak too early or too confident, but I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.’
Meanwhile, Toby Roland-Jones has added to the Stokes debate by saying ‘sportsmen are adults’ and have to be ‘held responsible for their own actions’.
Roland-Jones missed out on Ashes selection after suffering a stress fracture of his lower back playing for Middlesex, but established himself as an important part of England’s seam attack with 17 wickets at 19 apiece in his first four Tests.
‘When you are celebrating a series win, or enjoying casual beers in the dressing room, that breeds a really positive culture as well,’ he told the BBC. ‘But there’s a line there and unfortunately in certain instances it becomes pretty black and white when it is crossed.
‘It’s a difficult one when situations arise like this, because naturally people start to query decisions, but as sportsmen we are adults and at some stage everyone has to be held responsible for their own actions.
‘ I think it’s a timely reminder. These days with phones, social media and the access that people have, at any time when you are in the public domain, you are there to be seen and recognised, particularly someone as high-profile as Ben is in our sport.
‘You want to be able to celebrate at the right times, but also it’s about finding a way of keeping an element of control when you are in the public eye, and knowing that every action can have a repercussion.
‘It is something for the guys these days to get used to, and it will take a bit of understanding and a bit of learning from the powers that be to make sure guys are ready for it.’