Stokes heads from court to touring party
All-rounder will fly out to New Zealand today Return set for ODI series after ‘not-guilty’ plea
Ben Stokes will fly to New Zealand today after he pleaded not guilty yesterday to a charge of affray over the incident that cost him his place on the Ashes tour – and his teammates cannot wait to see him, said England head coach Trevor Bayliss last night.
The case has been sent to Bristol Crown Court after Stokes and two other men denied the charge relating to an incident outside a nightclub in September last year. The first hearing is scheduled for March 12, but Stokes will not be required to attend that initial court date.
Stokes will arrive on Friday, with the England and Wales Cricket Board saying earlier yesterday he will be “ready to train” in Hamilton.
Despite suffering three consecutive defeats in the T20 tri-series, England could still reach the final if New Zealand lose to Australia on Friday and England win on Sunday. Stokes will not play in Sunday’s match, and Bayliss indicated that he would not feature in the series even if England progressed.
Bayliss also said it was “unlikely” he would be picked for the first ODI against New Zealand on Feb 25, but that he may feature in the second, three days later.
“The boys are looking forward to seeing him, he’s looking forward to getting back doing what he does best, I’m looking forward to catching up with him,” Bayliss said.
“I’m not sure when he will have to head back, but the reason we are getting him out as soon as we can is so that we can get him up to speed so he is available for selection as early as possible.”
“He hasn’t played for a while, so it is not as if we can, maybe, bring him straight back for these T20s, for example. We have got to get him up to speed and hopefully during this one-day series we can get him back into the team.”
Bayliss does not believe Stokes will be distracted by the legal process. “There’s been players in the past who’ve had off-field issues and some of those guys are able to put that aside and concentrate on cricket. It’s almost like a relief when they get on the cricket field. I think Ben is one those types of guys, but only time will tell.
“Nobody really knows until he gets back out on the cricket field. I’ve got a feeling he will be one of the guys who can put it aside and perform on the field.
“To me, apart from the way he plays, he’s a quality batter and bowler and our best fielder and one of the leaders in our squad.
“I think one of the biggest things we’ve missed over the summer has been the combinations we’ve been able to play. Right throughout the summer we’ve been down to five bowlers, especially in the one-dayers and T20s. We’ve been able to have six bowlers [before] which gives the captain plenty of different options.”
The ECB announced last month that Stokes would be considered for selection for the tour, saying that the potential length of time to his trial meant it would not be “fair, reasonable or proportionate” for the 26-year-old to remain unavailable.
The Test series against New Zealand starts on March 22, 10 days after the first Crown Court hearing in Bristol.
Stokes, wearing a blue suit, sat one seat apart from fellow defendants Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 26, in Bristol magistrates’ court and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address, nationality and to enter his plea.
Ali and Hale also pleaded not guilty to the charge of affray relating to an altercation that took place outside a Bristol nightclub in September last year.
It is alleged that a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident, at which Stokes’ fellow England player, Alex Hales, was also present.
All three defendants are accused jointly of using or threatening unlawful violence towards another, with the charge stating that their “conduct was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety”. All elected to be tried at crown court. The offence of affray carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison.
Stokes said last month that he was “keen to have an opportunity to clear my name,” adding that “the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial”.
Stokes is due to play in the Indian Premier League later this year after he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for £1.4 million.