Who replaces Stokes in the event of an Ashes rejection?

Although England’s leading all-rounder, Ben Stokes, has been awarded a new central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), his selection for the upcoming Ashes tour well and truly hangs in the balance.

A spate of off-field issues has led to the ECB confirming that the Durham fast bowler won’t be travelling ‘Down Under’ at this stage. Middlesex seam bowler, Steven Finn has been called up to the squad in Stokes’ absence, much to the surprise of England legend, Sir Ian Botham.

England’s Ashes Test squad is set to fly out to Australia on 28^th October, and although Finn has been called up to cover Stokes’ role, the ECB has added that no “final decision” has yet been made regarding Stokes’ involvement in the 2017 Ashes series. Sir Ian Botham is of the opinion that the ECB should have considered adding an extra batsman to the provisional squad if Stokes is unlikely to board the plane.

Finn is certainly a natural replacement for Stokes with the ball, given his pace and height, which will cause bounce on the harder Australian batting tracks. However, Finn is much more of a rabbit with the bat compared to troubled Stokes. It poses a question as to who will step into Stokes’ shoes if the status quo stays the same; and who else could be called up to deputise with the bat?

One player who could fill the void left by Stokes is Surrey batsman, Jason Roy, who has excelled in recent ODI games against the West Indies. Roy is a positive, quick scorer who could swiftly generate runs in a manner equally as effective as Stokes in the middle order. Stokes is certainly a player who can bat games out of the opposition’s hands very quickly, and Jason Roy has the ability to be similarly explosive.

Admittedly, his previous efforts in the Test scene have been somewhat tame, but his recent 84 and 96 innings in white ball cricket have proved his temperament to perform when it matters.

Other alternatives for the ECB selectors would undoubtedly be Essex batsman, Tom Westley, who performed reasonably well in the recent Test series against the West Indies. With five Test matches under his belt against both the Windies and South Africa this summer, Westley is match-ready and would be able to step in and play from the word ‘go’. Another left-field choice could be Nottinghamshire spinner-cum-batsman, Samit Patel. The 32-year-old won promotion with Notts back to Division One of the County Championship this summer and would offer a little balance to the bowling attack with his left-arm spin, complementing the likes of Anderson, Broad and Woakes.

One thing you can be sure of is that England’s current 5/2 price to win the 1st Test on BetStars will drift even more so if the ECB decides to throw the book at the Durham fast bowler and force him to stay behind and face the music.

Stave Waugh told Sky Sports Radio that a Stokes-less England side does not have what it takes to prevail over five gruelling Tests in Australia. “England without Ben Stokes, if he doesn’t come, I don’t think they can win the Ashes. I think if it was anyone in the Australian side, they wouldn’t be picked,” said Waugh.