As far back as 2018, then-England coach Trevor Bayliss was pleading with Stokes to look after himself, particularly when it came to his maniacal training habits. Now, as a 34-year-old, Stokes has toned down the training, still there is nothing that can hold him back in the heat of battle.
Is half a Ben Stokes all of the time better than a whole Ben Stokes half of the time? It’s a moot point, simply because Stokes is incapable of reining it in.
England were in a similar situation last year, when Stokes suffered his first hamstring injury. He missed four Tests, the fourth of which was the first on the tour of Pakistan. Stokes’ effort to get fit made him insular and grumpy, eventually taking it out on the team on the field in Multan, for which he later apologised. The hope is he has learned from that experience, and will not be weighed down at the beginning of the Ashes tour.
For now, he will remain with the England team, once again led by Ollie Pope. There is a larger room in the England hotel set aside for the captain, which Stokes has not given over to Pope. That probably says plenty about who remains in charge.
Stokes is one of four changes from the Old Trafford Test, leaving an odd-looking England team. Out go the weary Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, as well as spinner Liam Dawson, whose comeback after eight years in the wilderness lasted one match. It turns out Dawson is not the second coming of Daniel Vettori, and he is scrapping with Rehan Ahmed for a place on the Ashes flight.
In come Jacob Bethell, who has played only one red-ball match in seven months; Gus Atkinson, one club game and one second XI fixture since May; and Jamie Overton, four first-class matches since September 2023. Josh Tongue is back after being dropped for the third Test. At 36, Chris Woakes plays all five Tests.
Through injuries, workloads and selection decisions, England have been backed into a corner over their bowling attack.
