Stokes now seems certain to miss Ashes tour as ‘fight’ video emerges

● All-rounder referred to internal ECB investigators as police probe continues

Ben Stokes’ fading Ashes prospects may hinge on the next stage of police investigations after England suspended him and Alex Hales from all future international matches until further notice.

The pair will not be considered for selection, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced after seeing video footage published on The Sun newspaper’s website which allegedly shows Stokes throwing punches in a street fight.

Test vice-captain Stokes, selected in England’s Ashes squad on Wednesday, was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after disorder in the Clifton Triangle area of Bristol in the early hours Monday.

He was released without charge later that day but has remained under investigation by Avon & Somerset Police , while Hales returned voluntarily to Bristol on Tuesday to provide evidence.

Should further interviews result in Stokes being charged, it is hard to see how England could take him on a tour – as vice-captain or not – which starts on 28 October.

In a statement, the ECB said: “Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will not be considered for selection for England international matches until further notice. Each remains on full pay pending further ECB investigation and the ongoing police investigation.

“Andrew Strauss, director of England Cricket, will today 0 Ben Stokes: Has been suspended on full pay by ECB. refer the internal disciplinary procedure for these two players to the Cricket Discipline Commission. These decisions, fully supported by ECB chairman Colin Graves, were made following the release of footage viewed by ECB for the first time on Wednesday night.”

The timescale of a CDC investigation could be as much as several weeks.

Three days on from the incident outside a nightclub at 2:35am, new detail of reported events also emerged courtesy of journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan.

A celebrity acquaintance of several cricketers, Morgan claimed in a series of Twitter posts that Stokes found trouble when he went to the aid of two gay men who were being subjected to homophobic abuse.

The ECB named Stokes in their Ashes squad 12 hours before the video was posted by The Sun, confirming his availability despite a broken finger on his right hand.

Strauss also revealed then that the ECB was initiating its own investigation, not just into Stokes’ and Hales’ behaviour as they celebrated Sunday’s win over West Indies in the third Royal London Series one-day international, but that of other players who accompanied them for at least part of the evening.

Also yesterday, The Express newspaper’s website published footage allegedly showing Stokes mocking Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey.

England have already called batsman Dawid Malan into their one-day international squad following Hales’ confirmed absence from the final match of the summer today at the Ageas Bowl, where they will be bidding to complete a 4-0 victory.

It will fall largely to coach Trevor Bayliss to ensure England set aside ongoing distractions which, the Australian admits, are substantial.

Eight years ago, Bayliss was caught up in the deadly terror attack on the team bus in Lahore while he was coach of Sri Lanka, and, asked how tough he would describe the challenge of the past few days, the 54-year-old said: “It’s probably in the top two [in my cricket career], I would have thought.

“It’s very difficult for everyone involved. It’s something that obviously we didn’t want to go through, and hope we don’t go through again.” David Warner hit a century as Australia beat India by 21 runs in Bangalore to avoid facing a whitewash in their one-day international series.

India had already taken the five-match series with victory in each of the first three encounters.

However, Warner’s wellcrafted 124, in his 100th ODI, helped the tourists set a victory target of 335, which India looked capable of reaching after Rohit Sharma hit a rapid 65 off just 55 balls before Australia picked up late key wickets.

India finished on 313 for eight, with Kane Richardson taking three wickets for 58 runs.

The fifth ODI takes place in Nagpur on Sunday.

Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne was run-out seven runs short of a century on day one of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Karunaratne helped rescue his side from 61 for three before a mix-up with Dinesh Chandimal saw him sent packing after a fourth-wicket stand of 100. Chandimal (60 not out) recorded his 13th Test half-century as the tourists closed the opening day on 227 for four.

Pakistan, playing a Test match for the first time since Misbah-ul-haq and Younis Khan retired, had their opponents struggling at 61 for three at lunch. But Karunaratne and Chandimal battled through a testing afternoon session without losing a wicket.

Then, with a seventh Test century seeming inevitable, Karunaratne set off for a single when on 93 only for Chandimal to stay in his crease. New Pakistan Test captain Sarfraz Ahmed completed the run-out.

In Potchefstroom, Dean Elgar’s unbeaten century and97fromdebutantaiden Markram helped South Africa take control on day one of the first Test against Bangladesh.

In Ottis Gibson’s first match as coach, openers Elgar and Markram shared a first-wicket partnership of 196 to put the hosts on course for a first innings score of 298 for one at stumps. Hashim Amla also produced an unbeaten knock of 68 following the dismissal of Markram.