Ben Stokes Not to Guilty for the Affray Charge in First Bristol Court Appearance

English all-rounder Ben Stokes who has been out of the England side for a considerable amount of time has pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray at the Bristol court.

His return to the English squad for the tour of New Zealand remains uncertain despite the player’s appeal.

Stokes was forced to miss the Ashes this summer which the English side lost by a 4-0 margin. He appeared at the Bristol Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for the first time. He was suspended following an alleged roadside brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in September last year.

He is slated to appear at the Bristol Crown Court on March 12 for the hearing, which again has casts doubts on his return to the England side for the limited-overs series against the Kiwis. Stokes was earlier named in the 15-man squad for the five-match series against the Black Caps starting in Hamilton on 25^th February.

The England and the Wales Cricket Board is all set to state the availability of Stokes for the tour of New Zealand which also includes a couple of Tests in Auckland and Christchurch.

As per reports, the man who was with Stokes during the brawl fractured his eye socket, which happened many hours after England played an ODI against the Windies.

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