What was Ben Stokes accused of?

Ben Stokes and the 2017 Bristol Incident

In September 2017, English cricketer Ben Stokes found himself at the center of a major controversy following an altercation outside a nightclub in Bristol.

Following a police investigation into the late-night street fight, the Crown Prosecution Service officially charged Stokes with affray. The legal proceedings led to him missing the subsequent Ashes series in Australia, marking a tumultuous period in his professional career.

Stokes stood trial in Bristol later that year. Ultimately, a jury acquitted him of the affray charge after he maintained that he was acting in self-defense and protecting others involved in the incident.

While the legal battle ended with his acquittal, the event prompted disciplinary action from the England and Wales Cricket Board. Stokes later returned to international cricket, eventually rebuilding his reputation to become one of the sport's most celebrated captains and all-rounders.