Ben Stokes is a growing doubt to miss this winter’s Ashes series, with England’s tour to the West Indies in early 2022 considered a more likely time for his international return.
Stokes withdrew from England’s Test series against India because of concerns about his mental health. He was also not selected for England’s squad for the T20 World Cup, which begins next month in UAE.
Stokes is understood to have spoken to Joe Root recently, but England have been careful to leave Stokes space and avoid rushing him back, with his welfare England’s primary concern. While Stokes is understood to have made progress in his ongoing issues, England are aware of what a challenge it would be to make his return during an Ashes tour that will see players face an extended quarantine period, with uncertainty still raging over whether they will be able to bring their families.
As Telegraph Sport first revealed, England’s players will learn the conditions they face on the Ashes tour by the end of the month, with players then briefed on whether they wish to make themselves available. The Ashes squad will be named in early October, with some players potentially only declaring themselves available for three of the five Tests.
Stokes is also understood to still not have completed his recovery from his finger injury. This remains a major ongoing concern, with the risk that a further blow while he is not yet fully recovered could aggravate the concern and lead to a prolonged period when he is ruled out of the side.
The absence of Stokes for the Ashes tour would be a huge blow to England’s chances of regaining the urn. Stokes’s unique ability to command a top six berth with the bat while being a major asset with the ball balances England’s Test side. During the 2019 Ashes, Stokes’s 135 not out – one of the greatest Test innings of all time – sealed a remarkable victory in the third Test at Headingley.
Stokes has only played four Tests in Australia, but scored a brilliant century at Perth, in only his second Test, during the 2013/14 Ashes tour. He missed the tour in 2017/18 in the fallout from becoming involved in a street brawl in Bristol, but returned to help England win the World Cup during the 2019 summer.