Top 5 infamous moments of assault charges against cricketers

Ben Stokes (England)

Former England Test captain Ben Stokes faced an affray charge following a street fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017, shortly after England had played a One-Day International against the West Indies. Prosecutors alleged that Stokes had become drunk and enraged after being refused re-entry into the venue and had engaged in significant violence.

During the six-day trial at Bristol Crown Court, Stokes denied the charge and argued that he had intervened to protect two gay men who were being verbally abused before acting in self-defence when confronted by others. In August 2018, the jury found both Stokes and co-defendant Ryan Ali not guilty of affray. The verdict brought an end to an 11-month legal ordeal for the England all-rounder, allowing him to fully resume his international career. The case remains one of the most widely covered legal incidents involving a modern-day cricketer.