England light years ahead of lamentable Pakistan

Who needs Ben Stokes? Actually, it is hard to think of any side that would need him against this Pakistan team.After just five days of cricket, and despite their own limitations with the bat, England are on the cusp of a series victory at Lord’s with a 261-run lead and power to add thanks to the prowess of a seam attack that has emerged quickly from the shadow of its former captain.It will take longer to feel the full effects of Stokes’s absence. When England need a spinner in the side, they will miss the seam-bowling all-rounder to balance the XI. There will be times when they are up against it on a flat deck on a boiling day and be desperate for Stokes’s sheer will to win. It is still hard to think he will not play some part in the Ashes next summer.For the final two years of his career