Yes: Without a charge, he’s a free man

Well, didn’t the first sniff of Stokes potentially playing for his home province prompt some people to clamber out of the woodwork and accuse Canterbury Cricket of hypocrisy?

They’re the ones questioning how the province could have allowed Stokes to play for them a week after batsman Ken McClure stood down from representative duties after he pleaded guilty to a charge of injuring with reckless disregard.

Here’s why. Innocent until proven guilty – as stated in article 11 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Of course, nobody is forgetting the late-night brawl in Bristol earlier this year, when Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm outside a night club.

There’s no doubt video footage of the incident doesn’t look good – it helped the England Cricket Board (ECB) decide to suspend him – but the 26-yearold hasn’t yet been charged with a crime.

The same can’t be said about McClure, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Hanmer Springs on September 10, while on a pre-season trip for his East Christchurch Shirley Club.

New Zealand Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills said it best when describing the distinction between Stokes and the 23-year-old McClure.

‘‘Ken has been charged, has pleaded guilty and is now awaiting sentencing and wanting to take some time out from the sport. The key difference is Ben hasn’t been charged with anything at this point in time.

‘‘That may well happen, but who knows when that will be, if at all.’’

Which is why Stokes should be free to don the Canterbury kit against Otago on Sunday. Let him fire down a few overs and take on the short boundaries at Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval.

Sure, there is a valid argument Canterbury Cricket would be better off steering clear of Stokes due to the scrutiny they are attracting, which is no doubt why their board, led by chairman Ashley Taggart, is taking ample time to make their decision.

When former captain Peter Fulton, who retired at the end of last season as the province’s most capped first-class player, casts doubt on whether Stokes should play, people tend to listen.

Fulton made a good point when he spoke to Stuff on Wednesday. He questioned why Canterbury should allow a player suspended by the ECB to play for them.

However, given the ECB granted Stokes a ‘‘no objection clause’’, they’re clearly fine with him tuning up his game in North Canterbury before potentially returning to national duty for the third Ashes test in Perth, starting December 14.

One thing’s for sure, a charge against Stokes would change everything.