England's Ben Stokes acquitted of charges, included in Test squad
The England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been acquitted of the charges brought against him over a scuffle that took place in Bristol last September. The incident had taken place outside a nightclub called Mbargo, which led to the cricketer not being able to participate in the Lord's Test against India. However, he has been added to the squad following his acquittal. Here's more.
ECB confirms that Cricket Disciplinary Committee will begin its proceedings
After the acquittal, the ECB has confirmed that its internal Cricket Disciplinary Committee will begin legal proceedings against Stokes and Alex Hales. Hales, another England cricketer was also involved in the incident. An ECB spokesperson said, "Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the Board to fully consider."
When and how did the arrest happen?
Stokes and two other individuals, Ryan Hale and Ryan Ali, were arrested and detained on September 25, 2017. The arrest took place at the Clifton Triangle, after an ODI match against the West Indies. Kai Barry and William O'Connor were two other men present at the scene of the crime. Ryan Ali is said to use a bottle as a weapon during the fight.
Matches which Stokes and Hale missed due to the charges
After the arrest of Stokes, he was suspended by the ECB. He has already missed five Test matches, seven ODIs, and four T20Is as a result of the suspension. Hales had missed two ODIs of the West Indies series. However, he had found a place in the ODI squad for the 5-match series against Australia at the start of the year.
Michael Vaughan says Stokes has suffered enough
Former England captain Michael Vaughan wrote that Stokes has suffered enough and pleaded that he should not be suspended from the Ashes series in Australia. However, the Ashes-winning captain also mentioned that Stokes should learn a lesson from the entire saga and not just walk away with an "I told you so" attitude. Vaughan added that a level of maturity is expected from Stokes.
