Can England tick without Big Ben?

ENGLAND are resigned to being without Ben Stokes (right) for the whole of the Ashes series and it will be fascinating to see whether they can replace him – and win without him – against Australia.

Stokes, who was vicecaptain to Joe Root, did not fly out with the rest of the squad after a late-night incident in which he appeared to get involved in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Recently, there has been speculation that the 26-year- old all-rounder, often compared to former Test great Ian Botham, could return in time for the third of a five-Test series.

But with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) still waiting to discover if he will be charged by prosecutors, Stokes’s Ashes participation remains uncertain.

Stokes’s combination of skills – powerful left-handed batting, lively seam bowling and brilliant close-catching, allied to an ability to inspire his teammates – make him one of the most highly prized players in world cricket today.

They also help balance the side, with England able to play an extra specialist bowler without weakening their batting.

Such is Stokes’s importance to England that many pundits believe they cannot win the Ashes without him.

“Stokes is two things – he’s a class above the rest, and he’s such a match-winner that he drags the team along with him,” former Australia captain Ian Chappell told the Wide World of Sports.

“If he gets things right and plays really well, he’s the sort of player who can lift the rest of the team. Without him they (England) are no chance (to win the Ashes),” he added.

Chris Woakes is the nearest England have to a likefor-like replacement in their squad to Stokes.

Now England will hope that the Warwickshire seam bowling all-rounder’s surname is not the only thing that is similar to their absent friend. – AFP