Ben Stokes and Alex Hales charged with bringing game into disrepute following Bristol incident

Charged | Stokes (left) and Hales on England duty
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Will Macpherson18 September 2018

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will be charged with two counts of bringing the game into disrepute at a two-day hearing held by the ECB’s independent Cricket Discipline Commission in December. It relates to their involvement in an incident outside a Bristol nightclub last September which saw Stokes tried – and found not guilty – of affray.

Stokes was found not guilty by a 12-person at a seven-day trial at Bristol Crown Court more than a month ago but the hearing, which will see a three-man panel chaired by the former Derbyshire cricketer Tim O’Gorman, take place in private in London on December 5 and 7 – almost 15 months after the incident took place.

Each player has been charged with two counts of breaching ECB Directive 3.3, which states: “No Participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any Cricketer or group of Cricketers into disrepute.”

Hales was not arrested for his part in the fracas, a video of which was published on the Sun’s website soon after. Hales has missed just two ODIs so far, but Stokes missed 11 white-ball internationals and the five Ashes Tests, as well as England’s Test against India at Lord’s last month when he stood trial.

They could receive further cricketing sanctions if found guilty, but both are set to be available throughout the tour of Sri Lanka in October and November.

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