‘Ben Stokes’ video shows wild brawl

Vice-captain Ben Stokes’s Ashes spot is in doubt after video emerged allegedly showing him in a wild street brawl | VIDEO

England vice-captain Ben Stokes’s place in the Ashes squad is in serious doubt after video emerged allegedly showing the cricketer fighting in the streets of Bristol early on Monday.

In a minute-long video obtained by British tabloid The Sun, a man they say is Stokes appears to be provoked by another man who has apparently thrown a bottle toward his group. ‘Stokes’ lloses control, throwing 15 punches.

One punch leaves a man lying senseless on the road as another bystander, believed to be fellow cricketer Alex Hales, can be heard yelling “Stokes, enough!”.

‘Stokes’ is shown following the man — who backs away — down the street before the punch knocks him down.

He had earlier knocked the man’s friend to the ground and grappled with him in the gutter outside the nightclub.

The video begins with one of the men apparently trying to strike one of the ‘Stokes’ party with a bottle.

The 26-year-old, who broke his finger in the fight, was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and released without charge, but remains under investigation.

The Sun video shows a man in a green shirt, allegedly Ben Stokes, in a street fight. Picture: The Sun

One man was taken to hospital with facial injuries after the incident.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We have seen this footage for the first time tonight - when posted by The Sun.

“There is an ongoing Police investigation, which will look at all available evidence, and we do have to respect that process.”

The footage appears to show Stokes punching a man to the ground. Picture: The Sun

England stands by vice-captain

Stokes was earlier named vice-captain of England’s Ashes team despite being arrested over the incident.

Stokes spent Monday night in custody after being arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

The 26-year-old, a veteran of 39 Test matches, was with fellow England batsman Alex Hale. The two were dropped from England’s ODI at The Oval but England director of cricket Andrew Strauss insisted that the incident not reflect on selection of the Ashes squad.

Stokes was celebrating England’s 124-win over the West Indies earlier that day. He was released without charge the next morning but had to return to the police station while the rest of the ODI squad trained for the next match.

The controversy is a blow to England on the eve of the Ashes tour as Stokes is possibly their most valuable player.

His arrest drew comparisons with the infamous incident between Root and David Warner at a bar in Birmingham during the 2013 Champions Trophy.

The Australian was involved in a minor scuffle over a fancy dress wig with the man who would later become England captain in the early hours of the morning.

Cricket Australia took a strong stance at the time, banning Warner for two games in the lead-up to the Ashes that winter. Chief executive James Sutherland publicly slammed Warner describing his actions as “despicable” and putting him on notice.

That incident caused a chain reaction and many believe it played a key role in coach Mickey Arthur losing his job on the eve of the Ashes series.

Warner took note of the warning and has kept his nose clean since. He has stopped drinking and after two warnings from the ICC has stayed out of trouble on the field, refusing to get caught up in verbal incidents.

Stokes has copped penalties for a number of on-field indiscretions and struggles with discipline off it.

In 2011 he was given a caution for obstructing police after a late night incident in the UK. The allrounder was sent home from the England Lions Tour of Australia in 2013 for repeatedly disregarding curfews and drinking rules. In 2014 he broke his hand punching a locker in the West Indies.

A verbally aggressive player he has received demerit points after clashes with Sabbir Rahman in Bangladesh, Virat Kohli in India and then for swearing while bowling at Headingley.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said Stokes is sure to find himself under more pressure during the Ashes tour.

“If this sort of thing can happen in Bristol, then it could happen anywhere in Australia during the Ashes tour,” Hussain told the Daily Mail. “You can be absolutely sure there will be someone in Australia out to make a name for themselves who will know what Ben is like and will try to wind him up. He will have to be a lot more careful than he has been so far in his career.”

Another former captain, Michael Vaughan, questioned why he was out so late.

“The facts are the England vice-captain was out at 2.30am, drinking two days before an England game and he has hit someone,” Vaughan wrote in the UK Telegraph. “What this has done is cast a massive shadow over the England team at the worst time ... he could be charged.”

England, meanwhile, named its 16-man Test squad amid the controversy and included young leg-spinner Mason Crane who played club cricket in Sydney last year and became the first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1985 to play for NSW in the Sheffield Shield.

He is one of three uncapped players alongside back-up keeper Ben Foakes and seamer Craig Overton.

England’s batting uncertainties were highlighted by the recall of James Vince who could bat as high as No 3.

England’s Ashes squad:
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.