LONDON: Suspended England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the squad for this month’s five-match One-day International series against Australia and was replaced by batsman Dawid Malan, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.
Stokes, who was provisionally named in England’s squad, is awaiting a decision on whether he will be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for his involvement in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub in September.
The ECB said he would not travel with the group of players leaving for Australia on Tuesday and his availability will depend on CPS advice.
“Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage,” ECB said in a statement on their website.
The first ODI between Australia and England will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Jan. 14, followed by further fixtures in Brisbane (Jan 19), Sydney (Jan 21, Adelaide (Jan 26) and Perth (Jan 28).
The ECB, meanwhile, said the 26-year-old Stokes has been cleared to participate in the player draft for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
Stokes was recently granted a ‘no objection certificate’ to play for Canterbury in New Zealand, the land of his birth, though he cut short his stay there for ‘family reasons’.
And ECB chief executive Tom Harrison conceded it would be ‘difficult’ to prevent him playing in the IPL.
Stokes is looking at a lucrative contract in the IPL.
Last year he was signed for a record fee of £1.7 million ($2.3million) by the Rising Pune Supergiants.
He repaid their investment handsomely by being the player of the tournament.
A big-money new television deal could see figures rise even higher at the player auction later this month, because teams have a salary cap that has risen by 20 percent.
