Ben Stokes Confirms Delay To International Comeback
England all-rounder Ben Stokes, on Monday (January 22), confirmed that his England comeback would be delayed as he stated he would not travel to New Zealand for the T20 series until after his court hearing on February 13.
The 26-year old, who has not played international cricket since September, was expected to return to action during the New Zealand leg of the upcoming tri-series also featuring Australia. The all-rounder might have been able to enter a plea through his legal representatives, but he has decided to return to international cricket only after the court hearing.
“As has been confirmed in the media a first hearing date at court has been set for 13th February,” Stokes wrote on Twitter. “In the circumstances, I have decided that it would not be right to join my teammates until after attending court on the 13th.”
https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/955571433488420866
Stokes will be appearing in court to answer charges of affray, imposed on him by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September. Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm following an incident outside Bristol nightclub which left one man in the hospital.
The three men charged in connection with a disorder on Queens Road, Bristol on 25 September last year will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 13 February.
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The left-handed batsman was immediately suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) while he awaited news on whether he would be charged. As a result, he was withdrawn from the Ashes and the ongoing One-Day International series in Australia.
However, the English board lifted the suspension after the CPS announced its verdict, giving the allrounder the green light to make his much-awaited comeback to international cricket. In December, he had returned to competitive cricket for Canterbury in the domestic one-day and T20 competitions in New Zealand for which he was granted a no-objection certificate by the ECB.
Affray, depending on the circumstances, can be prosecuted at either Magistrates Court or Crown Court. At a Crown Court, the maximum sentence is three years imprisonment, but if tried in a Magistrates Court it is only six months. Stokes is likely to plead not guilty to the charge and might return to action on February 18 when England play their second T20 against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Stokes has also made himself available to play in the IPL after receiving permission to take part in the competition from the ECB. But if in case he fails to play in the league after being bought by a team, the team will be allowed to seek a replacement.
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