Veteran pace spearhead James Anderson said yesterday he was open to replacing suspended Ben Stokes as England vice-captain for the coming Ashes Test series. Joe Root's squad left home without their usual deputy skipper who is awaiting the outcome of a police probe into his involvement in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25. The England and Wales Cricket Board have not yet ruled him out of the series, which starts with the first Test in Brisbane on November 23. Anderson told reporters assuming the vice-captaincy was "not something I have really thought about to be honest". But when questioned on whether he would decline if asked to fill the role, he replied: "Of course not, I wouldn't."

England's James Anderson bowls during a warm-up game against WA XI in Perth on Sunday. Pic/AFP