STOKES GO-AHEAD TO FLY OUT TODAY
He pleads not guilty ahead of trial but will join England in NZ
BEN STOKES will today fly to new Zealand and join his england teammates after pleading not guilty to affray. the all-rounder, suspended for england’s 4-0 Ashes thumping in Australia after September’s altercation in Bristol, made his first appearance at the city’s magistrates’ court yesterday.
Stokes is accused along with Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale — who both pleaded not guilty to the same offence — and the case was sent for trial at Bristol Crown Court.
the first hearing is pencilled in for March 12 although Stokes’s representatives secured permission for him not to attend.
All three men were granted unconditional bail, which means that Stokes, 26, is now free to join england’s tour party.
He will not be considered for what is left of the t20 triangular series with Australia and new Zealand but he is expected to be available for the five-match ODI series with new Zealand starting on February 25, as well as the tests on March 22 and March 29.
trevor Bayliss, england’s coach, said: ‘the boys are looking forward to seeing him and he’s looking forward to getting back to doing what he does best.
‘We are getting him here as soon as we can (so) we can get him back to speed and is available for selection as soon as possible.
‘ It’s not as if he can come straight back into the twenty20s but hopefully during the one-day series we can get him back into the team. We want him out here ahead of the other one-day boys so he can have an extra couple of days to get ready.
‘there are players who have had off-field issues who are able to put them to one side and concentrate on cricket. I’ve a feeling Ben will be one of those guys. He’s one of our leaders, and there will not be any problems whatsoever.’
Stokes is also expected to play in the Indian Premier League, which begins in early April, after being bought for £1.37million by Rajasthan Royals.
Yesterday saw Stokes’s first court appearance since he was charged with the offence, which was alleged to have taken place outside a nightclub last September after a one-day international against West Indies.
After a request to enter court by the back door to avoid the media was refused, Stokes, neatly dressed in a navy blue suit, white shirt and navy tie, arrived just before 10am and was led straight to the dock, behind glass, alongside Ali, 28, and Hale, 26.
the charge states that the conduct of each ‘was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety’. Stokes confirmed his name, date of birth and home address, giving his nationality as ‘British’.
Stokes was told by District Judge Simon Cooper that the case should be heard at Crown Court. After the 20-minute hearing, Stokes declined to answer inquiries from the media and was driven away a people-carrier.