Ben Stokes remains in England and will not be considered for the Ashes while he is investigated by the police.
Stokes was not on the plane that flew to Australia and is not in contention to play ‘until further notice’.
Why is Ben Stokes missing?
Stokes was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm in September after an incident outside a night club in Bristol.
Stokes was held by police overnight during the ODI series with the West Indies.
The all-rounder remains in the UK awaiting results of the police investigation.
He will not play any part until the investigation is over and could miss the whole tour.
Could Ben Stokes play in the Ashes?
That depends on the outcome of the investigation.
The ECB have said he will not be considered while the police look into the matter, but it is not clear if he will be flown out should he be found innocent.
What have they said?
Australia opener David Warner has said Stokes has let ‘a lot of people down’.
“It’s disappointing for the England team and the country,” said Warner.
“I would have loved for him to be out here because I know what a competitor he is. He’s a world class player.”
Former England captain Alastair Cook said: “You can’t always pin your hopes on one guy.
“If there is a bonus of him making the trip at some stage, that would be great, but I can honestly say it hasn’t been spoken about in the changing room.”
England coach Trevor Bayliss said: “If any team lose one of their better players it’s going to be upsetting to a certain degree.
“But we have time to smooth things out and find the right combination. We certainly wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could win without him.”
Express Sport columnist Nick Compton wrote in his Ashes preview: “England, without their trump card Ben Stokes, have not so much jetted over to the other side of the world as sailed in rather quietly with a slight tailwind, hoping to get the job done. I’ve come to like that. Sometimes the unassuming “let’s make the most of what we have” attitude is the right one.
“As we know this is hardly the jumbo jet of a side that landed in 2010/11, the team captained by Andrew Strauss that kicked the Aussies up in the air. This is a team who may quietly and unassumingly play some good cricket.
“What England lack in pace they make up for in skill. Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes are highly skilled and bowl quick enough. Moeen Ali is one of Test cricket’s current outstanding performers. There are reasons to be positive for England.”