But the fast-bowling all-rounder has warned that the frenzy developing around his possible availability carries a real and present danger of overshadowing preparations for the second and third Tests in Adelaide and Perth.

Whether or not Stokes will, at some stage, be available for any part of this Ashes campaign has been the only question on cricket fans’ minds Down Under whether they are supporting England or Australia.

England remain in what they have chosen to term as “a holding pattern” waiting to see whether he is charged with anything following his Bristol arrest.

Stokes himself is not, however.

In touching down in New Zealand yesterday morning and pushing a trolley-full of cricket kit in Christchurch, New Zealand, for a run out with Canterbury at the weekend, it not only suited the narrative of the comic book hero riding to the rescue but kept his name buzzing.

Yet Woakes sounded a warning for England when he flagged up the obvious fact that resurrecting an Ashes campaign next month could be beyond even the powers of a Superman let alone Stokes if they go two-nil down this weekend.

“It is great for Ben to be travelling to New Zealand to see some family and potentially play some cricket,” said Woakes. “The fact he is a little bit close to Australia is good for him, the team and English cricket as well.

“Of course we would like him [with us] – he is a world class all-rounder and makes any team in the world a better team. We would welcome him with open arms if he was called up at any stage. It would be a huge positive.

“But at the moment we don’t have him and going forward we don’t have him, so we can’t dwell on it too much. If we start thinking like that we get into a negative mindset.

“Yes he could be the difference but us players have to step up and put in those performances that Ben would usually put in. We have 16 players here we have to rely on to win this Ashes series.

“If Ben comes at some point then great but at the minute he is not here and we can’t think about it.” Woakes is right and Australia (who are ready to whip themselves into a righteous, moralising frenzy should England call on Stokes) are ready to hammer home an advantage from Brisbane.

England long since identified the inaugural day-nighter at Adelaide which begins on Saturday as a Test they believe they can win and Woakes insisted their belief has not been shaken by the events in Brisbane.

The pink ball and its movement at sunset under lights remains something of an unknown for both sides despite England’s warm-up effort against a Cricket Australia XI earlier this month yielding some clues.

Australia have three day-night Tests under their belts – two here against South Africa and New Zealand which they won by seven wickets and three, respectively, and another at Brisbane against Pakistan which they clinched by 39 runs.

“The fact the ball might move around a little bit more might suit our strengths as a bowling attack,” said Woakes, who admitted that he had been asked a bowl shorter than he normally would in Brisbane.

“But we are stepping into the unknown with the pink ball as nobody has played a huge amount of pink ball cricket and every game has thrown up something really different.”

Woakes also insisted that England need to be ready to find a way to unsettle the Australia batsmen and if that means resorting to some “verbals” or more aggressive, short-pitched bowling, then so be it.

He said: “We have to try and find way of unsettling the batsman, however that may be. The Australians have always been that way inclined on the field. They’re happy to bring up anything, they’re happy to get stuck in.

“The game is 90 per cent mental and if you can get under someone’s skin it can help you get a wicket or stop them scoring runs or stop performing at the best of their ability. I’m sure that’s likely to happen further.”

The prospect of a fired up Stokes riding to the rescue is already getting under Australian skin but England need to find a way to do the same without him, starting on Saturday.