Andrew Strauss’ limp response to Ben Stokes incident a black eye for the game, writes Ben Horne
THE silent vigil England cricket chief Andrew Strauss is keeping outside Bristol police headquarters has become an embarrassment, writes Ben Horne.
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THE silent vigil England cricket chief Andrew Strauss is keeping outside Bristol police headquarters has become an embarrassment.
Strauss’ latest attempt to make it seem like he’s taking hard line action against Ben Stokes, when all he’s doing is taking the soft way out, is fooling no one.
Announcing on Friday night that Ben Stokes won’t travel “at this stage,” before adding, “though no final decision has been taken on his involvement in Australia” is a non-announcement.
It’s a cop out that when laid bare is simply another desperate measure aimed at leaving every possible avenue open to still somehow, someway bringing the troubled star to Australia.
Of course there is an element of fair play and justice to wait for the police to lay their charges — the NRL would wish they did that with certain rugby league players — but in the Stokes case there is the small matter of the damning video footage which purportedly shows the hulking athlete repeatedly striking a man to the ground.
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If the ECB are sure that man is Stokes, can they in good conscience allow him to tour for the Ashes without heavy punishment, even if Bristol police ultimately decide the vice-captain has no case to answer?
Cricket in England is fighting to maintain a foothold with youth and families and the extraordinary video published by The Sun has now been seen by millions around the world.
It was footage that shamed Strauss into standing Stokes down indefinitely, when originally he had done nothing, but he still hasn’t been brave enough to make the only call he can make and that’s to ban his best player from the Ashes.
Stokes might have been defending two gay men who were being abused, he might have been confronted by a man brandishing a bottle, he might be the world’s best bloke, but has Strauss stopped to think about the impact the image of England cricketers appearing to viciously fight on the street has on the game and what it should stand for?
Cricket Australia are in no way the game’s moral compass, as elements of the recent pay dispute will tell you, but it’s likely their action against a player caught in a similar situation would have been swift and firm.
David Warner was banned for two Tests and publicly admonished by CEO James Sutherland for barely knocking a breadcrumb off Joe Root’s chin, and James Faulkner was rubbed out for a one-day tour of England long before he had his day in court for drink driving.
It’s always impossible to compare apples with apples when you’re talking about off-field incidents, but the bottom line is England had a chance to show strong leadership on a serious matter and they have failed.
The silence out of ECB headquarters on Stokes has been deafening.
Fast bowler Steve Finn has been added to the squad as cover, but nothing has been solved, not least of all for Root and an England team that cannot move on and focus on the business of preparing for an Ashes.
The ball and chain around the neck distraction caused by not putting the Stokes saga to bed is only compounding the profound loss of not having the world’s premier all-rounder available.
Perhaps Strauss should listen to the man who blazed a trail for Ben Stokes – the great Sir Ian Botham, and believe England can win the Ashes without him.
“One thing I will say is, everyone just wants to have a look at that Australian side,” Botham said.
“They’re not very good. One of the poorest sides I’ve seen for a long time. I wouldn’t be too bothered.”