Stokes is being investigated following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September John Walton/PA WireThe uncertainty surrounding the fate of the suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes is hampering England’s preparations for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, Andrew Strauss has said. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspended the vice-captain Stokes pending an investigation into an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September for which he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. England have arrived in Australia without Stokes, who is considered vital to their hopes of retaining the Ashes following their 3-2 victory in 2015. The series begins at the Gabba in Brisbane on November 23 with the fifth and final test in Sydney from January 4. “The situation, in a word, is complicated,” the…

Source: The Times November 06, 2017 09:00 UTC