English Test wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow conceded the fact that it would be amazing if they get the services of English all-rounder Ben Stokes for the upcoming Ashes but confessed that they are not sure when and if the all-rounder would be joining the English squad in Australia.
The all-rounder has been temporarily suspended from the England team following an apparent roadside brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol. He was arrested for the suspicion of causing bodily harm but was later released without any charges, but the investigations are still going on. As per reports, Stokes was apparently helping two gay men who were the subject of homosexual abuse.
Recently Stokes has been posting pictures, and videos on his Instagram handle where he is seen bowling in the nets and showing off some bats without the sponsor stickers after New Balance decided to end their association with Stokes following the incident. From those clips, we can feel that Stokes is still upbeat to be part of the England team sooner than later.
As per reports in the Daily Telegraph, the investigation results on the Stokes’ case might come out this week. Meanwhile, Australian coach Darren Lehmann also admitted of preparing to face Stokes at some point in the series. At this point, the investigation is still underway, and even if the police clears Stokes of the charges, there is the disciplinary process of the ECB to follow. If things resolve by this week, Stokes might well fly to Australia in time for the 2nd Test scheduled to begin at Adelaide from December 2.
With little time available and not having played a match since September 25, it remains highly unlikely that Stokes would be selected for the 2nd Test despite not underestimating his importance to the team. More realistically he might be flown in for the practise match against Cricket Australia XI ahead of the 3rd Test. That would ensure that Stokes goes into the 3rd Test with some match practice behind him.
“You know far more about that than I do,” Bairstow told reporters at Brisbane airport on Sunday (November 19). “It would be amazing if Stokesy came out here. He’s a fantastic cricketer but we don’t know what’s going on at the moment. That’s completely out of our hands. I am sure that it will be resolved sooner rather than later we hope but at the end of the day, we want the best cricketers playing in the Ashes don’t we? That’s the series we want. We don’t want to see guys not playing and the standard going down due to that.
“When asked whether the absence of Stokes, perhaps England’s most improved and important Test cricketer of the last twelve months, gave England added motivation, Bairstow was unequivocal that there was plenty riding on the series with or without him.
“There’s plenty of motivation [anyway],” he said. “If you can’t get up for an Ashes series if you can’t get up for England-Australia, then what can you get up for? The motivation’s already there. Whether he comes or the eleven guys that come out and play at the Gabba this week, there’s the same amount of motivation there.”
After getting the hang of the conditions with three warm-up matches behind them, Bairstow conceded that England was looking forward to the opening Test at the Gabba in Brisbane scheduled to begin from 23rd November. He gave full credit to the Australian XI who made light work of a star-studded English bowling attack.
“I thought the opposition played really well [in the warm-ups],” he said. “They went out and scored runs yesterday. All credit to them,” he said.
“It was a first-class fixture at the end of the day and they’re first-class teams we are playing against. I thought the guys had a really good run out. It was really good to play on pitches and at the stadiums that some of the guys haven’t been to before. It is important to us and can only stand us in good stead when we’re going forward to the WACA and obviously Adelaide.”
England have a relatively fit team to choose from with the return of fast bowler Jake Ball and all-rounder Moeen Ali who suffered injuries during the early weeks of their stay Down Under.
“During a long tour like this there are going to be periods where people are going to get injured,” Bairstow said. “That’s part and parcel of a long tour. It’s fantastic that guys are going to be back fit for selection for that first Test and that gives Joe [Root] and Trevor [Bailey] some selection dilemmas as well because the guys that have played have done really well.”
Bairstow said that the team after flying from Townsville to Brisbane are “content, relaxed and excited.
“We know that we have worked hard leading up to this first Test match,” he said. “It’s about, on the morning of the first Test at the Gabba when everyone’s there watching, how we step up and front up. As you can probably tell by the excitement on my face and on the faces of the guys getting off the plane now that we’ve actually arrived in Brisbane, it’s a fantastic place.
“You’ve got a great mix [in England’s squad]. You’ve got guys that have been down here on a few tours now, been on the wrong end of it but also been on the right end of it. That mixed with guys that had a touch of experience last time, whether that be for one or two Test matches. And also, guys that haven’t been here before. There’s a really good mix within the group. There’s an excitement within it as well,” Bairstow concluded.
