Waugh weighs in on Ben Stokes saga

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has declared England has no chance of retaining the Magellan Ashes if star allrounder Ben Stokes is not available following his arrest in Bristol last month.

And Waugh, who was at the helm in 57 Tests for 41 victories during a golden era of Australian cricket, tipped the home side to claim a convincing victory in the five-Test series, which starts in Brisbane on November 23.

Stokes was arrested in the early hours of September 25 on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and later released after an altercation with several men. The incident allegedly left a 27-year-old man requiring hospital treatment for facial injuries.

Police are probing the incident, while ECB's independent Cricket Discipline Commission has launched an investigation.

Stokes will not travel with the squad when they depart London on October 28 and may not tour altogether pending the outcome of the investigations.  

Waugh said an Australia player in the same situation would not be selected.

“England without Ben Stokes, if he doesn’t come, I don’t think they can win the Ashes,” Waugh said on Sky Sports Radio.

“I think if it was anyone in the Australian side, they wouldn’t be picked. You can’t do that these days in public. It just didn’t look good and it’s a bad image for the game.

“I think they (England selectors) are pretty keen for him to play in Australia … he’s probably their best player, so it would be a real shame if he’s not out here.

“Without Ben Stokes, we’ll win. I can’t see England winning and it’s too much pressure on (Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson, and they’re getting a bit older, and I can’t see them playing five Test matches straight.

“I think Australia will win 3-1.”

England great Kevin Pietersen has also said Stokes should not be on the plane to Australia.

“I can hardly watch the bit at the end, it is horrendous. That 45-second video is brutal,” Pietersen told The Sunday Times.

"The more you watch it the more shocking it is. I have watched it with some influential leaders in business and the general view was, ‘you cannot represent your country with a video like that going around’. It is a view I agree with.

“Whether you like it or not, you become someone that people look up to. Someone that kids look up to.”

Stokes averages 35.72 with the bat and 33.93 with the ball from 39 Tests, underlining his value in England’s set up, and he is fourth in the ICC allrounder Test rankings.

Waugh also weighed in to the debate surrounding who should stand behind the stumps for Australia in the Ashes, with incumbent Matthew Wade attracting criticism from some quarters for his performances with the bat in India and Bangladesh.

NSW gloveman Peter Nevill, who last played Test cricket in November 2016, and emerging South Australian Alex Carey have been touted as possible replacements.

“We’re talking about who’s going to be the ‘keeper and they tend to focus on the ‘keeper scoring runs, not how he’s taking the ball,” Waugh said.

“Nevill was doing a great job and then got dropped and now Wade’s improved his ‘keeping and they’re talking about dropping him.

“You’ve got to be fair to Matthew Wade now, I guess, he kept pretty well in the subcontinent, so it’s difficult to know where they go from there.”

Players will have an opportunity to stake their claims for selection with three rounds of the JLT Sheffield Shield to be contested before the first Ashes Test.

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21