England All-Rounder Ben Stokes Caught Smoking With Bandaged Hand After Alleged Nightclub Brawl

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was attending teammate Jason Roy's wedding in France where he was caught smoking a cigarette, holding it in his bandaged hand, which seems to be the result of the brawl that the English cricketer got into a couple of weeks ago. The brawl led to his arrest in Bristol on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. The 26-year-old batsman was released without charge but remains under investigation.

Stokes was seen sitting beside a pool and smoking a cigarette, as reported by The Daily Mail. Among other attendees in the wedding were England players Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings and captain Joe Root.

Stokes was dropped from the 4th ODI against the West Indies following the incident that happened in the Clifton district of Bristol on September 24. Amidst a lot of speculation on whether the left-handed batsman will be a part of the Ashes tour, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had initially included him in the squad to tour Australia.

But once the video of the brawl emerged, apparently showing him fighting outside a nightclub, ECB released a statement stating, "Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will not be considered for selection for England international matches until further notice."

The latest news is that Stokes will not travel with the England squad to Australia on October 28, yet no final decision has been taken on his involvement in the Ashes. The ECB further announced that Stokes, who is also subject to internal disciplinary action, had been awarded central contracts for Test and limited-overs cricket.

(With AFP Inputs)