The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made all rounder Ben Stokes available for selection even though he has been charged with affray by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). After the CPS decided to charge Stokes and 2 other men over a violent incident in late September, Stokes announced that he would be contesting the charge in an attempt to clear his name. The ECB has decided that this is a concrete enough state of affairs to allow Stokes to play cricket, at least until the result of his trial.

Stokes was involved in an altercation that ended with a fractured right hand for him and a broken eye socket for one of the other concerned individuals. England teammate Alex Hales was present as a witness, and was allowed to take part in the ODI series against Australia after initially being suspended as well.

An ECB official stated that they were satisfied enough with Stokes' intent to challenge the charge against him to raise the indefinite suspension on him playing for England. While under suspension, Stokes enjoyed a brief, successful stint playing for Canterbury in the Super Smash, New Zealand's domestic T20 league. It is as yet unknown whether any IPL teams will bid for his services, but it seems likely that should he be cleared of all charges, he will be their number one overseas target.

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