Stokes' indiscretion damages already flawed Ashes squad.

The Ashes squad announced by the ECB yesterday threw up a number of surprises, left many questions unanswered, and has clearly underwhelmed most pundits. The BBC’s Jonathan Agnew decided it was ‘the weakest party I have seen sent down from these shores’, whilst Vic Marks in The Guardian believed that England opted for a ‘pick your mates policy.’ Neither man is expecting much from Joe Root’s tourists.

And then, yesterday morning, came the unedifying spectacle of images of one of England’s three world class players (the others are Root and James Anderson) spattered gleefully all over the front pages. Ben Stokes’ decision to intervene, in Piers Morgan’s words, ‘to help two gay guys who were being abused by yobs, one of whom was armed with a bottle’ appears, on the surface, laudable; intervention to calm a situation is fine. What is far less acceptable is the manner in which he, allegedly, beat one of these mouth-breathers to the ground, hospitalising him, whilst at the same time breaking a bone in his own hand. That’s some intervention, and I’m not sure ‘self-defence’ will stand up in court.

We don’t know the context, perhaps we never fully will, but the evidence clearly points to a brutal assault. Moreover, what was the England vice-captain doing milling around Bristol in the early hours of Monday morning with another match to play on Wednesday? Stokes is a professional sportsman; getting into an ugly fracas in the small hours is not, it seems to me, good practice for a professional sportsman. At the very least, it represents a set of very poor choices from a man whose effervescent ability and swashbuckling style make him a role model for many impressionable young cricketers.

The Stokes affair mirrors the misdemeanours and excesses of past all-round heroes Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff, both of whom were punished for their various wrong-doings before being successfully integrated back into the fold. If it is decided Stokes has a case to answer, the ECB has no choice but to leave him shivering on the cold, wet shores of Blighty as the England party, somewhat ironically, makes its way to the former penal colonies Down Under.

(Updated at 1550 on 28/9/17 – Stokes has been suspended from England matches until further notice.)

Frustratingly for fans and players alike, Stokes’ exclusion will rob his colleagues of one of the few men who could be relied upon to dig the team out of the many holes they will find themselves in over the next few months. In terms of his cricket, and of his morale-boosting influence in the dressing room, Stokes is irreplaceable.

So, what of those who will be making the trip? Plenty of people have spent a good deal of time mulling over the make-up of the touring party. That no one seems to be able to agree on much points to the fact that, for all the improvements central contracts and the revamping of the County Championship were supposed to have made, the fare available at the top table of English cricket is very meagre pickings; there are far more Big Mac Meals than beef Wellingtons available at present. And, to brutally extend the already stretched metaphor, both repasts have the potential to hit the spot, but only one guarantees a satisfaction that lives on after the meal.

Root, Anderson, Cook, Bairstow and Ali are secure, and a fully fit Woakes will join them. That leaves five open slots and none of the remaining members of the squad really inspires a huge amount of confidence at present.

Three – Ben Foakes, Mason Crane and Craig Overton – are uncapped at test level and do not deserve to be judged yet. All have had good seasons with their counties, and will provide cover for the more established players. That said, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett would have provided more than adequate, experienced, cover, and can count themselves unfortunate. There is a chance, however, that Buttler may find himself as Stokes’ replacement as a batter and fielder.

That leaves the rump of the squad: Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Stuart Broad and Jake Ball. Broad will play if fit and, despite having had an ordinary summer, has pedigree and experience on his side. However, all the batsmen in this group have had at least one chance, and none has pulled up any trees, although Ballance can at least lay claim to some previous test success.

Those unanswered questions then: who will open with Cook? Who will come in at three and five, or should Root play at three? Will two spinners play? Who will fill Stokes’ boots?

England have had seven test matches this summer to fix these problems. They are no nearer to the answers than they were in May. And with Stokes’ seemingly inevitable omission, they are a much poorer side than they were in May, also.

It’s shaping up to be a brutal Ashes winter.