ECB to weigh in on implications over Stokes's IPL participation

Ben Stokes played for Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 edition of the IPL © BCCI

Late last month, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) granted all-rounder Ben Stokes the No Objection Certificate to represent Canterbury as their overseas player in New Zealand's domestic One-Day and Twenty20 tournaments. After playing in three one-day games and three Twenty20s, Stokes returned to England. During his six-game stint with Canterbury, Stokes starred in a victory over Otago where he blasted a 47-ball 93. The NoC will now pose important questions to the full executive board of the ECB, who will now need to decide if Stokes can go on to participate in the Indian Premier League. The IPL mega auction is due to happen on January 27 and 28.

The 26-year-old has been provisionally named in England's 16-member ODI squad that will take on Australia in five ODIs, starting January 14. However, his national participation depends on the judgement that is to be decided by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), to whom his case was forwarded by the Avon & Somerset Police for charging advice. Also, what hangs in balance is if ECB can allow a player suspended from international duty to take part in a high-profile tournament like the IPL.

"I imagine having given him an NoC (no-objection certificate) to play in New Zealand, it will be difficult for us to say on balance that we would not apply the same thinking to playing in other parts of the world," ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison said on Saturday(December 24).

"But the NoC is based on a particular tournament. If we want board backing for a decision such as this, and this has been hugely complicated and board backing for a decision of this magnitude might not be a bad idea, then the implications of it (the game's reputation) is something we have to work out."

The board will need to weigh in the possible reputation damage such a move could bring and hence the decision over Stokes's possibility of featuring in the IPL is set to be chaired by the full board, unlike the move that allowed him to play in New Zealand which was taken by a sub-committee appointed by chairman Colin Graves.

As of now, the board awaits the CPS's verdict on whether charges would be pressed against the all-rounder, following which ECB should not take more than 48 hours to decide its next course of action. The charges placed on Stokes by the Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) are presently on hold and if they were to take their course, it could take up to a year before Stokes is seen in England colours again.

"From a board position it is about disrepute and reputation of the game. That is what the board has to protect," Harrison said. "The CDC process is about disrepute and cricket related charges which has to wait until after the criminal proceedings have happened. If the indications are accurate we have been told any likely situation could be 6-12 months away."

Harrison landed in Australia on Friday and despite England's dismal show in the ongoing Ashes, assured head coach Trevor Bayliss that there would be no 'rash' decisions taken. "It's a shame this series hasn't gone our way but there's more to play for over the course of the winter. It's also important to remember that in every one of the three games England have been in a position where things could have worked out differently. We just haven't managed to turn the screw in those moments. But we've remained pretty competitive even in Australian conditions.

"We have a plan and we're making progress on that plan. We're in the middle of an Ashes series where England have been very competitive for large parts. What it has shown is that Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game, where those marginal periods of play can turn a game and we haven't been able to do it," Harrison observed.

"We are in a process of delivering cricket across all three formats. They are making huge strides in the white ball game. We are winning 70 per cent or so of white ball matches and in Tests we are finding it is very difficult for us to win overseas. We did win in South Africa but we have found it difficult in Dubai, India and Australia. We have to take a look at that.

"We have to be careful not to overreact half way through an Ashes series. We can all understand there's some frustration and we haven't been able to close those matches out. Now is not the moment to be overreacting. There will be no review. This is not the moment for knee-jerk reactions or rash decisions about what we do from here in respect of performance."