England name injured Stokes in Ashes squad despite arrest

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was named on Wednesday in a 16-man squad for the Ashes tour to Australia despite being arrested earlier in the week for an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub.

Stokes, England’s highest-profile cricketer and key match-winner, was held on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm in the early hours of Monday and released under investigation.

An X-ray showed a minor fracture of a finger on the player’s right hand but he is expected to be fit for the opening game of the tour against a Western Australia XI in Perth on November 4.

Stokes also retains the vice-captaincy.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement announcing the squad did not mention the incident, which has been the talk of the last 24 hours.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was included for the first time, along with fast bowler Craig Overton and specialist spinner Mason Crane, while James Vince ends an absence dating back to August last year.

Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, who had lost his test place through a finger injury in July, was also included in a squad with three uncapped players.

The Ashes defence starts with the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on November 23-27.

The squad: Joe Root (capt, Yorkshire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (wk, Yorkshire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Ben Foakes (wk, Surrey), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ben Stokes (Durham), Mark Stoneman (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).