England suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes and opener Alex Hales from international cricket until further notice after the pair were involved in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub. The announcement came a day after Stokes, England's highest-profile cricketer and vice-captain of the test side, was named in the 16-man squad for the Ashes tour of Australia starting in November.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement that both Stokes and Hales remained on full pay pending further investigation into the incident. Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and then released without charge under investigation, and Hales was with him at the time of the incident. “Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will not be considered for selection for England international matches until further notice,” the ECB said. The immediate effect of the suspension is to rule both out of final one-day international against West Indies in Southampton. “Andrew Strauss, Director of England Cricket, will refer the internal disciplinary procedure for these two players to the Cricket Discipline Commission, chaired by Tim O'Gorman,” the ECB added. “These decisions, fully supported by ECB Chairman Colin Graves, were made following the release of footage viewed by ECB for the first time.”
According to a footage, the brawl between the player and two other people, one clutching a bottle. The authenticity of the images could not be confirmed. Media reports said Stokes, who suffered a minor fracture of a finger on his right hand, had apologised to the ECB for his arrest and described his state of mind as “fragile and devastated.”
