Cricket stars like Ben Stokes are 'role models', says West Indies coach

West Indies coach Stuart Law believes responsibility comes hand in hand with the fame and fortune granted to "role model" cricketers such as Ben Stokes.

Law, a former Australia batsman, concedes there was a little more space for players of his era to "breathe" without the never-ending spotlight of social media.

Nonetheless, as his team prepared to try to battle back into the Royal London Series from 2-0 down against England at The Oval, he spelled out that international sports stars must realise the need to behave as well as perform to a high standard at all times.

Stokes will be absent, along with England opener Alex Hales, as England try to clinch the series with a match to spare after he was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm during disorder at a Bristol nightclub.

Hales has returned to Bristol voluntarily to provide evidence, while Stokes has been released without charge but under investigation.

"With the invasion of the social media, you can't really breathe without people knowing it," said Law.

"You are role models; you are people that the young kids and general public look up to.

"They have certain expectations of everyone."

The world has changed for cricketers as well as their public.

"We were pretty lucky in our era - we didn't have the social media, and it wasn't as intrusive as it can be in this day and age," Law added.

"But professional cricketers get paid a good wage these days - no matter where they are playing for.

"They get decent money, and along with that comes responsibility."

As for Stokes' and Hales' absence, Law insists his team's prospects are unaffected.

"Regardless of who we are playing against, we spoke the other night after the game (in Bristol) that we need to stand up and fight in the last two," he said.

"It doesn't really matter which personnel they put out there - we know it's going to be a tough fight.

"Regardless of who puts a shirt on and plays in the opposition, we know we have got to play a lot better than we have done."