Ben Stokes could play cricket in New Zealand as Ashes return gathers pace

UPDATE: English cricket has made an embarrassing mockery of its own disciplinary standards by allowing Ben Stokes to launch a backdoor bid for the Ashes, as the all-rounder firms to play in New Zealand.

Will the real Ben Stokes please stand up? Is this the disgraced English cricketer at Heathrow Airport?

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ENGLISH cricket has made an embarrassing mockery of its own disciplinary standards by allowing Ben Stokes to launch a backdoor bid for the Ashes, despite still being under police investigation.

Stokes will arrive in New Zealand this morning and set up camp in his town of birth Christchurch, where he could play first-class cricket for provincial side Canterbury as early as Sunday.

Meanwhile, an unravelling England have slapped a strict midnight curfew on their misbehaving squad for the rest of this Ashes series, something Australian coach Darren Lehmann says he’d never personally do because his players are “grown men”.

Will the real Ben Stokes please stand up? Is this the disgraced English cricketer at Heathrow Airport?

The Daily Telegraph first reported three weeks ago that there was a prevailing expectation in English ranks that Stokes would be cleared in time to be injected into the Ashes for the third Test in Perth.

That was and is still entirely predicated on Stokes’ not having charges levelled against him for his part in an alleged nightclub brawl in Bristol two months ago.

So for Stokes to play 1st class cricket in NZ.. he needs a NOC from The ECB... so why is he not playing for England? #Confused https://t.co/nAX0rywTVs

— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) November 28, 2017

The ECB are in a state of utter shambles with team supremo Andrew Strauss telling UK media there was no update on Stokes just hours before punters at Heathrow Airport photographed him marching through the terminal with his full England kit on his back.

Stokes was two months ago stood down from all international duties until the police investigation is complete, yet it can be revealed the ECB signed off on a non-objection certificate to allow him to play cricket abroad last Friday.

Strauss pleaded desperately that his players weren’t “thugs”.

CCTV vision of Ben Stokes fighting with two men in a Bristol Street. Picture via The Sun

Yet the ECB has decided to ignore the same police investigation protocols they have been hiding behind for the past few weeks in order to get Stokes – captured on video allegedly punching another man to the ground – back on the field ASAP.

New Zealand cricket is expected to rubber stamp Canterbury’s acquisition of Stokes, despite the allegations hanging over the star match-winner’s head – in a stunning move that appears the strongest pointer yet that Australia may have to brace for one of the all-time Ashes twists.

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“Following the recent speculation surrounding Ben Stokes coming to New Zealand, Canterbury Cricket can now confirm that they have been in initial informal discussions with Ben Stokes’ representatives regarding his potential availability for Ford Trophy and Burger King Super Smash cricket,” said Canterbury chief executive, Jeremy Curwin.

“The CCA Board and New Zealand Cricket will independently be considering this issue in the near future but, until then, we are unable to provide any more detail on the status of the deliberations. “As and when there are any further developments we will of course release further statements.”

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow tried to defend his headbutt at yesterday’s media conference.

It’s understood England coach Trevor Bayliss and Strauss are privately seething at what the Jonny Bairstow “headbutt” incident says about his team’s standards of behaviour and maturity.

England players are now threatened with serious disciplinary punishment if they are caught outside the team hotel after midnight, a strict rule that will prevail for the rest of this series.

Australian coach Lehmann says he has enough faith in his players to never even consider such a move.

“We wouldn’t have curfews but that’s our decision and that’s theirs,” said Lehmann.

“We have faith in the blokes to do the right thing. But they’re grown men, they’re adults, and that’s just my personal opinion.”

England players are desperate for Stokes to be injected into the squad mid-Ashes series, although Bairstow’s headbutt drama has muddied the waters for England management even further in terms of how they act on player discipline.

Strauss has tried to launch a passionate defence of his players.

“These guys are not thugs. These are good, honest, hard-working cricketers who have done some great things in an England shirt,” he said.

“And I will back them on that to the hilt because I know them.

“We’ve done a lot of work over the last few weeks to make sure the players understand their responsibilities and have come up with a code of conduct.”

Originally published as Ben Stokes could play cricket in New Zealand as Ashes return gathers pace