Stokes arrest won’t prevent Ashes call-up

POM CONTROVERSY: England star arrested and dropped

England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss said the squad will be named as planned on Wednesday night (EST) and that: “the selectors have been instructed to select (it) based on form and fitness.”

On that basis, the involvement of key all-rounder Stokes – arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and released under investigation – can still be taken as read.

Alex Hales, like Stokes omitted from England’s fourth ODI against West Indies after returning to Bristol to provide witness evidence about the disorder, was an unlikely inclusion in England’s winter squad in any case.

The selectors are therefore left to stick to more familiar deliberations, focusing most obviously on this summer’s flaky top-order.

The combined efforts of Tom Westley, Dawid Malan and opener Mark Stoneman – the latest in a line of 12 openers to partner Alastair Cook since Strauss’ retirement five years ago – have been unconvincing.

The selectors’ solution may well be to sacrifice one and instead accommodate a pick each for captain and coach in a 17-man squad, which would mean the return of Gary Ballance and James Vince.

Which of them is most suited to batting in likely fall guy Westley’s position at number three is a moot point that could yet result in Joe Root’s eventual re-elevation from four – where he has flourished of late.

Vince’s return to the reckoning owes much to the travails of others rather than an especially prolific summer with Hampshire, and statistically in his Test career to date his claims are inferior to many others.

An average of 19.27 in seven Tests up to August last year trails those of Westley, Malan and white-ball opener Hales.

Trevor Bayliss’ advocacy can only help Vince’s case, however, along with his right-handedness if England do decide it is Westley they wish to replace. Strength in depth is critical for five Ashes Tests, and England appear likely to take two specialist seam-bowling understudies as well as uncapped leg-spinner Mason Crane who played for NSW last year.

They will be tempted to include the out-and-out pace of Mark Wood, despite doubts over his recovery from a heel problem, and Jake Ball may edge out Steven Finn and the uncapped Craig Overton.

Possible England Ashes squad: Joe Root (Capt), Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, James Vince, Ben Foakes (wkt), Mason Crane, Jake Ball, Mark Wood, Keaton Jennings.