Ben Stokes has been added to the England squad for the third Test against India, having been found not guilty of affray by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday.
Stokes had been facing the charge after becoming involved in an incident outside of a Bristol nightclub in September 2017, with footage appearing to show the all-rounder punching Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.
The 27-year-old always maintained that he was acting in self-defence and defending two gay men, however, and the jury delivered a not guilty verdict on the charge of affray.
Having been cleared of wrongdoing, Stokes has now been added to the England squad for the third Test against India, which gets underway in Nottingham on Saturday.
"Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the disciplinary process for Ben Stokes and Alex Hales can be scheduled by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC)," read a statement from the ECB.
"Ben Stokes will now join the England squad for the 3rd Specsavers Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
"Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the board to fully consider."
Stokes's cricket career had been on hold during the court proceedings.
Matt Law
