“Bristol incident will still have an effect on my life”: When Ben Stokes was forced to miss Ashes 2017-18 due to Birstol nightclub affray

Ben Stokes is one of the most prolific all-rounders to ever play the game of cricket. The Christchurch-born all-rounder is a World Champion, and he was a part of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad. However, their cricketing journey of Stokes has been through a lot of ups and downs.

The 2017 Bristol nightclub brawls have to be one of Stokes’ biggest down in his career. In 2017, Stokes along with fellow batter Alex Hales was caught in an infamous incident. Stokes was accused of knocking a person unconscious outside the bar in a drunk condition.

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After the news went out, Stokes was banned for eight matches, which forced him to miss the Ashes 2017-18 in Australia. However, In 2018, he was judged not guilty by a court in Bristol, and he then restarted his duties with England. This incident was certainly a cruel one for the all-rounder.

Ben Stokes was forced to miss Ashes 2017-18 due to Birstol nightclub affray

In 2022, Ben Stokes again recalled his Bristol nightclub brawl incident and said that he still feels the effect of that incident on his life even after five years. He said that he also wants to talk about this with his children as they will be asked about the same when they will get old.

“My wife Clare makes a great point of saying that just because when the verdict came in, don’t assume that was the end of that incident. That Bristol incident will still have an effect on my life and on our lives in the future. Just an example – we’re going to have to sit our kids down one day and explain what that was all about,” Stokes was quoted as saying.

Ben Stokes has been found NOT GUILTY of affray by a jury at Bristol Crown Court. pic.twitter.com/JA66itEdFN

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) August 14, 2018

It has to be said that Stokes has been through a lot after that Bristol incident. In 2021, he first got injured and also took a break because of mental health before making his return in the Ashes 2021-22. In 2022, he became the test captain of the side, and the rest is history. He is yet to lose a test series as England’s test captain.