Thursday 19 October 2017 17:23, UK
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor believes it would be "very difficult" for the ECB to select Ben Stokes for this winter's Ashes given the video footage of the all-rounder's alleged fracas outside a Bristol nightclub.
The ECB have stated that Stokes will be unavailable for selection while the police investigation is ongoing and are also conducting their own investigation into the alleged incident.
As a result, Steven Finn has been called into the England squad for the tour of Australia but while the ECB have yet to rule Stokes out of the series entirely, speaking to Australian television, Taylor argued that it would not be easy to pick the 26-year-old.
"I think it's going to be very difficult for the ECB to send Stokes to Australia," Taylor told Channel Nine. "Having said that I'm not going to be too judgemental on Stokes because I don't know the events of the night.
"I have no doubt that there was probably a lot of hassling going on at the time. But I think the video evidence that we've all seen is going to make it very difficult for the English side to pick him.
"I've always thought it takes two to tango but when you're any person you can't deal with it that way. Particularly when you're in the public eye, you're in a no-win situation there.
"All you can really do in that situation is get out of there. Remove yourself from the situation. I think that's what he has to do in the future and that's what I would be telling him if I were his captain, coach, father, whoever."
However, should Stokes play a part in the series, Taylor thinks he could have a big impact and offers England a dimension that Australia do not possess.
"He does bring something to England that Australia don't have at the moment, that genuine all-rounder at No. 6," Taylor added.
"I remember him making a hundred in Perth four years ago. I think he showed us then what he can do in this country and in recent times we've seen him take some very useful wickets.
"He's one of those guys that can change a Test match with the bat or the ball and they are rare characters."
