Andrew Strauss, Director of England Cricket, admitted Ben Stokes’ situation is complicated before conceding it is hard to pinpoint the date when the all-rounder will return.

Stokes, who is currently not available for selection, was arrested in the early hours of September 25 but was soon released while being under investigation. The case then took another turn when The Sun released a CCTV footage showing the England star landing punches after punches on a man outside the pub in Bristol.

As a result of that video, Stokes, who was initially named in the squad for Ashes, was shown the door and is currently under two investigations – the police and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The England team had left for Australia without the mercurial all-rounder, and although reports are suggesting that the player can join the team at a later stage, Strauss failed to mention the exact date due to obvious reasons.

Ashes 2017/18: Ben Stokes' Absence is a Blow to the England Team - Andrew Strauss 2 — Stokes is currently under police and ECB investigation (Credits: Getty)

Strauss also mentioned that he wants the situation to get resolved so that Stokes can join the squad for the Ashes.

“The situation in a word is complicated,” Strauss told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek. “There’s two different potential disciplinary procedures he has to go through; one is the ECB’s own internal one and the other is any potential police action. Until we know more from the police, it’s very hard for us to put a timeline on anything.

Ashes 2017/18: Ben Stokes' Absence is a Blow to the England Team - Andrew Strauss 3 — Video showed the horrific scenes outside the pub (Credits: The Sun)

“What we all want is clarity on what that situation is and how much cricket he will be missing for England. We’re keen to get into that and move this forward, but we’re in the hands of the police. Ben has been and is developing into a world-class cricketer. The fact he’s not out there at the moment is a blow to the England team,” added the former England skipper.

Meanwhile, Joe Root & Co. will be looking to improve England’s track record in Australia after the humiliating 5-0 thrashing on the last tour in 2013. Strauss, who himself had faced one such result in 2006, said that the players would be keen to make amends for their horror show four years ago.

“I was involved in a 5-0 drubbing in 2006, and I used that as a very strong base for retribution,” he said. “I’m sure the guys who were there last time and suffered the chastening defeat at the hands of Mitchell Johnson will want to put that right.”