Ashes 2017/18 squad announcement overshadowed by Stokes arrest as uncapped trio included

He also suggested the all-rounder could yet be stripped of the Test vice-captaincy pending an internal investigation into several players.

The aftermath of Stokes’s arrest overshadowed the announcement of a 16-man squad to face Australia in the Ashes this winter, which included him and gave recalls for James Vince and Gary Ballance, plus three new faces.

Craig Overton, Mason Crane and Ben Foakes are the trio of uncapped players who will travel to Australia on October 28 but, crucially, so will Stokes despite X-rays on Tuesday revealing a “minor fracture” to his right hand.

Given an ongoing police inquiry into the circumstances of the Bristol incident, Strauss refused to confirm how Stokes had sustained the injury. But he did confirm England’s medical staff are confident it will not impact on his ability to play a “full part” in the big winter series.

“Early results are that he has got a minor fracture on his right hand,” said Strauss. “There are obviously more tests that need to be done but the early indications are that he should be fit to play a full part in all the Ashes Test matches.”

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Whether Stokes will be able to play a part in warm-up matches is unclear at this moment. 

England’s tour starts on November 4 with a two-day match at Perth and continues with two four-day matches in Adelaide and Townsville.

And whether it will be as vice captain is similarly unclear.

Both Strauss and coach Trevor Bayliss have made clear their disappointment at the behaviour of the players who were out on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Asked whether he was happy for them to be out during the middle of the Royal London One Day Series against West Indies at 2.35am he said: “Definitely not.”

The Australian also went on to say he was considering imposing curfews on his players but added: We will be looking into curfews, but I have been with teams before and we have had curfews and that doesn’t work either.

“Whichever way you go a lot of the responsibility comes back on to the players. They are adults and they have to take responsibility. They are professionals.

“The other night a few guys being out was very unprofessional in the middle of a series.”

England have been forced to take a gamble with several of their Ashes picks, with national selector James Whitaker admitting they have been pushed towards picks on character rather than weight of runs.

Both Vince and Ballance fall into that category after falling some way short of nailing down a place in the past. The former averaged 19 from seven Tests before being dropped in 2016 and the latter averaging 19 in his last 12 Tests.

“We have had a number of players who have come in and put in a performance or two but we have had to review those positions because we want to find the right formula,” said Whitaker.

“We all know Gary’s record, which is brilliant at domestic cricket and at the start of his international career. He is keen to put the recent record right [in Tests]. We think he has the toughness of character and back-foot game that will thrive in Australia.

“Similarly we’ve got every confidence that James’s game will suit Australian conditions. He has shown glimpses over the last few months of really good form but he’ll admit he has unfinished business at Test level.

“I’ve spoken to him a number of times recently and he’s very keen to put his Test record right and we are confident he will do that.”

Vince is “an option” to bat at three in the order following Tom Westley’s failure to make the squad if Joe Root decides to stay at four which seems likely given his reluctance to move until now.

That would leave Dawid Malan and Ballance fighting for the No5 spot.

Strauss insisted he was hopeful that the difficulties England have endured in the build up to the squad announcement will bring together rather than divide the squad.

“We have experienced similar things in the past and you can go one of two ways: it can bring people closer together or it can allow people to split off into splinter groups,” he said.

“What I am very encouraged about about is how tight that group is at the moment. I would be exceptionally hopeful that it will galvanise things and bring people closer together and focus their minds on what they need to achieve in Australia. To ensure that they give themselves the best possible chance out there.”


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