Ben Stokes pleads not guilty to affray and will fly to New Zealand
England all-rounder leaves tomorrow to join squad for the Twenty20 Tri-Series
England cricketer Ben Stokes will face a crown court trial after pleading not guilty to a charge of affray following the incident outside a Bristol nightclub that cost him his place in the Ashes squad.
Appearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today alongside the two other men involved in the 25 September incident, Stokes spoke only to confirm his name, age, address, nationality and not guilty plea, The Times reports.
Stokes and his co-defendents - Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 26 - all pleaded not guilty on the grounds of “self-defence and defence of another”, the Times said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After the court appearance, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued a statement saying that the all-rounder would fly to New Zealand tomorrow to join the England squad for the Twenty20 Tri-Series. Stokes missed the Ashes series defeat in Australia owing to his suspension from international cricket.
The ECB statement said: “Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad. He departs tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, and will arrive on Friday 16 February, ready to train with England team mates in Hamilton.
“Any decision to include him in upcoming matches will be made by Head Coach Trevor Bayliss and the England management team. He is not currently being considered for the ongoing International T20 Tri-Series.
“ECB fully respects his right to defend himself in court and any obligations he has within the legal process will always take precedence over England commitments.”
It has been confirmed that Stokes will not be required to return to the UK for the first hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, 12 March.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Graham Thorpe obituary: 'chameleon' batsman with 100 England caps
In depth Cricketer's 'bottle in abundance' endeared him to fans
By The Week UK Published
-
The Ashes: can England mount a glorious comeback?
feature ‘Herculean’ task follows ugly scenes at controversial second test
By The Week Staff Published
-
English cricket is ‘racist, sexist and elitist’, says independent report
Speed Read Chair of governing body apologises after crushing indictment of the sport ‘at all levels’
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
England are the ‘undisputed kings’ of white-ball cricket
feature Ben Stokes scored the winning run as England beat Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final
By Mike Starling Published
-
Ben Stokes and England set up a ‘grand finale’ against South Africa
feature In an old-school Test victory at Old Trafford, England’s captain scored a century and took four crucial wickets
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘Alarm bells’ for authorities: is there too much cricket being played?
Talking Point Ben Stokes quitting one-day internationals has sparked a debate over the packed schedule
By Mike Starling Published
-
‘Bazball’: England cricket’s glorious new look
In the Spotlight A staggering turnaround has taken place under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes
By The Week Staff Published
-
England’s epic win: Test cricket that was ‘quite simply, out of this world’
In the Spotlight Victory over New Zealand was one of the most ‘glorious and scintillating’ in England’s history
By The Week Staff Published