‘England can’t win Ashes without Stokes’

SYDNEY: Test great Steve Waugh says England can’t win the Ashes without Ben Stokes and the bad boy allrounder would have been dumped immediately if he was Australian.

England vice-captain Stokes was arrested last month in Britain on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and suspended from internationals until further notice following an apparent fight outside a nightclub.

He was included in their Ashes squad but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last week said he would not travel with the rest of the players when they leave on October 28.No final decision on his involvement has been made.