Ben Stokes included in England’s T20 squad for tri-series against Australia and New Zealand
Written by News on 08/01/2018
Ben Stokes and Joe Root have been included in England’s 16-man squad for the T20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand, but Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow will not feature.
Durham all-rounder Stokes, who is waiting to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following a fracas outside a Bristol nightclub, has not played for England since their ODI victory over Windies in September and his participation remains in doubt.
In a brief statement accompanying confirmation of the T20 squad, the England and Wales Cricket Board reiterated its current policy regarding the all-rounder’s selection.
It read: “Ben Stokes is included, though his involvement remains subject to any relevant legal or disciplinary developments in relation to the incident in Bristol in September.
“Should the ECB board receive formal confirmation that Stokes has either been charged or that he will face no charges, they would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability for the team at that stage.”
Fellow all-rounder Ali, who has struggled for form during the five-Test Ashes series, and Bairstow, two regulars in the shorter form of the game, will sit out the mini-tournament which begins in Hobart on February 7.
England Test skipper Joe Root, who battled viral gastroenteritis on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test after suffering from ‘severe dehydration‘, is involved, while fellow top-order batsman Dawid Malan is also included
Mark Wood, who last played for England during the Test series against South Africa in July, Sam Billings and James Vince are all recalled after they missed England’s most recent T20 international to Windies in September.
England T20 Tri-Series squad: EJG Morgan (Captain), SW Billings, JC Buttler (wkt), TK Curran, LA Dawson, AD Hales, CJ Jordan, DJ Malan, LE Plunkett, AU Rashid, JE Root, JJ Roy, BA Stokes, JM Vince, DJ Willey, MA Wood.
(c) Sky News 2018: Ben Stokes included in England’s T20 squad for tri-series against Australia and New Zealand
