Mark Butcher has questioned what Chris Woakes’ Test future might hold as England eye next year’s Ashes away series, branding the all-rounder’s role within the team “problematic” for England to play away.

Speaking of the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Butcher reflected on Woakes’ role in England’s series win over the West Indies. Woakes took 11 wickets in the series at an average of 21.36, which puts him third on the wicket-taking charts. He also scored 134 runs at an average of 33.50, including an important half-century at Edgbaston.

Questions have been raised, however, about where Woakes fits into the England management’s focus on the Ashes series in 18 months’ time. Woakes did not tour India earlier this year and averages 51.88 with the ball out, compared with 21.83 at home. The differences between Woakes’ England record and his away record are so stark that he has 124 wickets in 31 home Tests, compared with 36 in 20 away Tests.

“I still think Woakes is problematic,” Butcher said. “It’s not that he’s not a brilliant cricketer and he’s gotten better and better as the series went on, but I think he’s problematic because the numbers over a long period overseas weren’t particularly good – he didn’t really fancy going to India. I had in my head that he’d stopped touring and would be available for series at home but not for series away. He’s not going to Australia. So that’s a problem. He’s been a great senior bowler and a very useful No. 8, but England are going to have to find someone else to do that at the end of the year in New Zealand and in that Ashes series. That’s still a problem for me.

“It’s not bad for Chris Woakes because he’s great, but that’s the one area where the think tank is still unsure about how to replace him. How do they find someone who gives you the same amount of bat and ball but is more useful in Australia?”

What makes Woakes so difficult for England to replace is his utility with the bat. England have few all-rounders suited to bat at No. 8 who are as effective with the ball out as Woakes is at home. The only comparable option they have is Sam Curran, who has not played a Test match for almost three years and averages over 40 with the ball out.

“You’re left with a dilemma,” Butcher said. “The only way to solve that is probably to accept that at eight years old you’re not going to find anyone who’s as good a batsman as he is. That’s just not possible unless you can develop someone like Matt Potts into a real all-rounder. And that’s a challenge for the player and also for the management to stress to the guys who are your seam bowlers that it (batting) is just as important. That’s very difficult at this late stage.

“Could it be that Stokes and McCullum suddenly turn the wheel 180 degrees and turn Chris Woakes into someone who is very useful to you, both outside and inside England? Possible, but unlikely.”

England play three Test matches against Sri Lanka next month before travelling to Pakistan and New Zealand for two more Test matches in the winter.

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