England's Stokes, Hales charged with bringing game into disrepute

England all-rounder Ben Stokes and batsman Alex Hales have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute for a fracas outside a Bristol nightclub last year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Tuesday that the players will be required to attend a panel hearing of the independent Cricket Discipline Commission in London on December 5 and 7.

Each has been charged with two counts of breaching ECB Directive 3.3. The directive states that: "no participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

Stokes, 27, was last month found not guilty of affray following the late-night street brawl in Bristol last September after England had won a one-day international against West Indies.

Hales, 29, was also present at the time of the incident but he was not charged.