It was under 24 hours after releasing their 16-man squad for the Ashes that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) learnt Ben Stokes had been arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.
The Avon and Somerset police are still investigating the incident and looking for key witnesses, while the ECB have suspended the Test vice-captain indefinitely. They will likely wait for the investigation to conclude before deciding whether further action is necessary.
But there is little doubt that during this time they have been considering how the side may cope without Stokes, and also who might replace him in the Ashes squad.
A team will always suffer when they lose a talent like Stokes, who is quite easily the best pace-bowling all-rounder in the game at present. But the role Stokes plays in balancing England’s Test side would make his loss even more problematic.
Firstly, Stokes’ bowling largely accommodates the other all-rounder in England’s Test side, Moeen Ali. Ali generally plays as England’s frontline spinner, and while he has had a very successful year with the ball, his form is often erratic.
This makes Stokes’ role as the fourth seamer in the side particularly important, as his duties with the ball are somewhat similar to what Jacques Kallis’ was for South Africa. Kallis also bowled in a team without a consistently effective spinner, and it subsequently became his job to alleviate the other pacers’ workload.
If the bowling depth Stokes offers is removed, the Australian batsmen will no doubt target Ali even more than they would otherwise. It should also be considered that England’s only other spin option is the young and inexperienced Mason Crane.
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With no genuine pace-bowling all-rounder in contention, England may then look to replace Stokes with a bowler, with Steven Finn, Liam Plunkett, or even Jamie Porter – who claimed the most wickets in county cricket this season – all in contention.
But with the squad’s lack of spinning depth, they may be more inclined to look to the likes of Jack Leach, Adil Rashid, or Liam Dawson.
The latter two would also be aided by the contributions they make with the willow, as England’s batting depth will also suffer with the loss of Stokes.
In fact, in recent years England may have been the Test side with the most batting depth. This was seen in the 2015 Ashes when Ali managed to average 36.62 with the bat despite batting at eight.
Stokes’ batting skills have been particularly important of late, as Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan have all struggled to adapt to Test cricket, with Westley failing to make the Ashes squad altogether, therefore putting pressure on Stokes to consistently contribute.
England may be able to amend Stokes’ absence by selecting a batsman to replace him. The clear choice would be Liam Livingstone, who matches Stokes’ aggressive style, and has the impressive first-class batting average of 48.75.
Tom Westley may also be considered for reselection, while Rory Burns and Nick Browne would be in contention after strong seasons domestically.
Ideally, England would like a player like Paul Collingwood or Ravi Bopara to fill the void. Yet Collingwood is now 41, and will actually go to Australia as part of England’s coaching staff, while Bopara didn’t manage to fully take his chances at Test level, nor recapture the form that got him there.
While it is debatable who the best player in England’s side is, Stokes is likely both the most important, and the most difficult to replace. The selectors are therefore unlikely to have much of their nails left to chew by the time his future is announced.
ColinP
Guest
on talent alone it is. Think 2005, bairstow would walk in, as would ali, Stokes is world class, as are root and cook. Irrespective of what broad and anderson do in oz, statistically they are englands two greatest bowlers ever. Woakes is solid and prob best no 9 batsmen in the modern era.....then you have a revolving door of 3 batsmen however...who knows if they'll come good.....vince is class, needs a score and then is long term, rocky can play, ballance and malan? Well id play with 10
ColinP
Guest
Finn's gone, bowling at 83mph, trying to be a swing bowler since he got his out swinger going.....did take 8fer the other day, but not bowling quick anymore
ColinP
Guest
if fit, he wasn't this summer, he'll bowl at 87 mph, v good swing bowler...basically jimmy reincarnate, got a v good bouncer though....might struggle with kookaburras lack of swing. I think as ever he will be hideously underestimated and will come out with his reputation improved in oz, his batting is solid- he's probably a better batsmen than mitch marsh, so on that basis if he was australian he'd be batting at six in the all rounder spot...?
ColinP
Guest
i think you would say with stokes, if this was in england, then england would prob be comfortable favourites, without then just edge it, in australia however heavy underdogs, without stokes, massive underdogs. I dont think its the quality of players, its there past performance in australia that sets the precedent.....the raw talent is there with england however, just need them to show up in oz....will be v v v difficult though
ColinP
Guest
1.cook 2.rocky 3.vince 4.root 5.ballance 6.ali 7.bairstow (i think they will leave bairstow at 7, he's ridiculously dangerous there) 8.woakes 9. overton/ ball or crane depending on wicket and performances in warm ups (ball is best seamer, but overton basically another all-rounder, batting similar quality to james pattinson, but probably dont need it considering woakes could be considered like-for-like for stokes) 10.broad 11.anderson
ColinP
Guest
problem is that behind cook and root, he's the 3rd best batsmen in england now, so nothing will strengthen the batting
Samuel Honywill
Roar Pro
Overton wouldn't bat 11 - he consistently provides useful contributions for Somerset and is a much more proficient batsman than either Broad or Anderson. Him at 9 doesn't weaken the depth of the batting too much.
Samuel Honywill
Roar Pro
With the squad as it stands, I imagine it's Overton who comes into replace him. Ali could easily slot into six, or him and Bairstow just shift up a slot, and Woakes is probably world cricket's most accomplished number eight batsman after Ali (and indeed might even be more consistent, if not as capable of moments of magic with the willow). Overton would slot in comfortably at nine and he is no slouch with the bat, so the depth of the batting line up would not have changed, and he would suit Australian conditions well. The major issue with Stokes probably missing the tour is, in my opinion, his approach to the game. Technically he's one of the best equipped batsman to take on a barrage of pace and he wouldn't take a backward step. Mo might crack a 70 ball 100 if he comes off, but equally he might do nothing, and his bowling, although infinitely improved (and far better nowadays than even the 'erratic' evaluation offered in this article) just will not be as usefulas Stokes' would have been, being a finger spinner.
Don Freo
Guest
It's hard to clutch at straws while your fingers are crossed.
Ouch
Guest
I think Freddie's been out in the sun too long. Englands best ever test side? Really? http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/41507153
Mike Dugg
Guest
Renshaw who has had a bad run now averaging under 40, fast bowlers that can't stay fit, handscomb up and down in form, Etc
Don Freo
Guest
2 sixties and 2 forties. Not a bad return for a first tour.
George
Guest
Renshaw has made a every post a winner. Really? I'd say he's looked promising though has struggled in past 4-5 Tests. Then again you think Mitch Marsh is Test standard.
George
Guest
Of course not DF - never said anything positive about those batsmen. But as you say, one has to start somewhere - so perhaps foolish to only write off only one set of inexperienced players?
George
Guest
He's done better at home than away, true. But it's a small, early career sample size rather than an 'historical inability'. His strong home form came after his tour of SA, and India was never going to be somewhere he'd excel. He's more an all-round contributor than a bowling 'gun' but I think he'll do alright down here.
Don Freo
Guest
Stoneman, Malan, Vince look more stable? At least Renshaw and Handscomb have made every post a winner. To establish stability, you need to play the next game and the one after etc. Of course you are not convinced. They haven't had those games yet. Did you expect to be assured of their consistency and stability without them playing the games to show it? You have to start somewhere.
George
Guest
Fair points James. I'm just not convinced the top 5 is as stable as it could/should be - Renshaw (we'll see in a few months but he's not established); Handscomb (looking very decent and seems to be trusted), unlike... Khawaja (unsettled and low of confidence possibly). History has shown that a destabilising Marsh or weird allrounder selection is only ever a Test or two away.
George
Guest
Quite Don F - against indeed.
Ouch
Guest
"expose him to the ridicule of Australian crowds for 4 months." It won't just be Stokes who cops it. The whole team will. I read an interesting article on this and the basic premise was that if Stokes tours and cops ridicule and abuse (which he will), it will affect the performance of the whole team.
Don Freo
Guest
Discrimination towards (against) Khawaja? That's as much a reality as your discrimination against Pakistan a few comments ago. Sounds pretty off to me.