England still to decide if Stokes plays in 3rd Test

NOTTINGHAM: England have yet to decide if Ben Stokes will make his return to international action in the third Test against India at Trent Bridge later this week.

The all-rounder was acquitted of affray at a trial in Bristol on Tuesday, having missed England’s innings and 159-run win in the second Test at Lord’s last week because it clashed with his court case. England coach Trevor Bayliss welcomed Stokes’s return to the squad on Thursday. But neither England nor India are obliged to confirm their XIs until the toss which, weather permitting, should take place before Saturday’s first day in Nottingham.

Given they are 2-0 up in a five-match series, England face a more than usually tricky decision over whether to change a winning side.“It’s good to have him back around the squad. I’m happy for Ben and glad it’s all over,” Bayliss told reporters at Trent Bridge on Thursday. “I haven’t actually spoken to him since...but I’ve got the next two days to assess where he’s at.”

Explaining how Stokes was added to the squad after the not guily verdict, Bayliss said: “It was a collective decision. Myself, the management, the captain, Andy Flower, the board — everyone had a bit of a say and basically thought for his (Stokes’s) own wellbeing it was good to get him back around the cricket. “There’s nothing automatic about selections, we’ll see how he is mentally as well as physically. He’s not played for a couple of weeks. It’s a difficult decision to make.”

Although cleared by the court both Stokes and England team-mate Alex Hales remain subject to a Cricket Discipline Commission investigation.“For a team on the road 11 months out of 12, we had an incident we’d rather have not happened to a degree and we’ve thought we needed to do something different.”

Meanwhile Bayliss has suggested Ben Stokes make a public apology over the events that led to his eventual acquittal for affray as the all-rounder waits to see if he will be recalled for this week’s third Test against India at Trent Bridge.

Bayliss told reporters at Trent Bridge on Thursday that Stokes had already apologised to his team-mates, in New Zealand earlier this year.

That was when he rejoined them after having to miss the Ashes — which England lost 4-0 in his absence — while a criminal charge was being considered following the incident which took place during a home one-day international series against the West Indies. Asked if Stokes should apologise in public, Bayliss replied: “Certainly. “I think it was important to actually apologise to the boys in the team, management of the team and management at ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), who had to go through a lot of extra activities to work our way through it.”