You will have your own views on the rights and wrongs of a grown man being out past the time his employers said he should have been in bed. Maybe that is no longer the main issue preventing Stokes’ return.
A Test match will once again break out on Wednesday morning. England will win the series if they beat New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval. They have not won a series for 18 months.
While much of the conjecture around Stokes has been on his future as captain, England will once again experience the impact of his absence as a player.
Without Stokes’ all-round abilities, the hosts have had to bolster their batting by bringing in debutant Jordan Cox, and add to their seam bowling with Sonny Baker, meaning Bashir has been jettisoned.
With Atkinson also on the naughty step, Robinson injured and Smith on paternity leave it means five changes.
The most recent instance England made a quintet of changes between Tests in a home series was the last time they played New Zealand at this ground, a defeat in 1999 that ended with captain Nasser Hussain being booed.
There will be similar noises directed towards stand-in skipper Joe Root this week. Not boos, but the low rumble of his name when he walks out to bat.
In taking charge of England in a record-extending 65th Test, Root will lead a team that includes three debutants. The last time England had a trio of uncapped players in the same XI was at The Oval against South Africa in 2017.
Added to Emilio Gay making his bow in the first Test at Lord’s, it is four debutants in the series. England have not had four debutants in a home series since that same New Zealand summer of 1999, the last before central contracts ended a revolving-door selection policy.
It is a further sign of the rapid evolution of the England team in the past three years.
In the Ashes Test of 2023 played on this ground, the home team included James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes. All have moved on since then, while another chunky collection of caps has been lost through the discarding of Jack Leach, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope.
