England Test skipper Joe Root believes that his team can win the Ashes without their flamboyant all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has not travelled Down Under with the team.

Root is sure that Stokes will not be available throughout the Ashes and they will make their game plan accordingly. “We’ve got to make sure we plan and prepare as a squad and look to approach it as if this is our team going out there for the tour. We will have to sit down and chat about that. It’s something that’s ongoing and over the course of the next few weeks we’ll come to a decision,” said Root.

Stokes has been suspended by England and Wales Cricket Board after getting in a brawl in Bristol outside a night club. It is not yet decided whether he will face criminal charges or not. Root added “To be brutally honest, I am in exactly the same position as you. It’s an ongoing investigation. We don’t really know how long things are going to take and I think we’ve just got to sit tight and wait.”

Since that Bristol incident, Stokes has not played a single match and he can only play once he receives a clean chit from the local Police. The experts believe that England can’t win the Ashes without their star all-rounder. However, English Test skipper is untouched to this fact and thinks they are well capable to regain the urn.

Root quoted “He is a fine player but I see a squad of players that’s more than capable of going over there and doing something really special.”

Also, he lashes out the talks about drinking culture in the team and believes player will maintain themselves in Australia during the big series.

“We know that what’s happened hasn’t been good enough and we are determined to get that right. I don’t think there’s a drinking culture in our side… We are grown men, we know how to behave and we’ll make sure we conduct ourselves well on this tour,” the 26-year-old concluded.

The first Test of Ashes will go underway in Brisbane from November 23.