Stokes, Hales face ECB's Discipline Commission over Bristol incident

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will attend a Cricket Discipline Commission on Wednesday and Friday this week to learn whether they will be handed any further punishment for their involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub last September.

The altercation resulted in Stokes being charged with affray although he was found not guilty at Bristol Crown Court in July, having been forced to miss the second Test against India at Lord's to attend. Stokes maintained he was acting in self-defence and Hales, despite being seen kicking a man who was lying on the ground in a video of the incident, was not charged by police for his involvement.

The CDC, who waited until the outcome of the criminal proceedings had finished before deciding whether to act so as to not prejudice the trial, has charged both players with bringing the game into disrepute under ECB Directive 3.3. The case will be heard in London at a private venue with no access for the media and an announcement is expected on Friday (December 7) once all submissions are heard.

ECB directive 3.3 states: "No participant may conduct himself 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."

It is not an easy case for the three-person CDC panel. Whilst it remains hard to see how two England cricketers rolling about in the streets, fighting, cannot be said to be bringing the game into disrepute, particularly given the front page headlines it generated, the CDC have lots to consider.

Neither Stokes nor Hales was found guilty in court and both, particularly Stokes, have already missed a chunk of cricket as a result of the incident. Any subsequent suspension could take into account these matches already missed. Given the altercation took place fifteen months ago, there is also an understandable desire to move on for all parties involved.

However, with cricket competing with other sports for the attention of supporters, and particularly families, the CDC have to consider the message this case will send to a watching public. Neither the CDC nor the ECB want it to look like cricket is a game where this sort of unsavoury incident is tolerated.

The CDC panel, which is independent from the ECB, will be chaired by Tim O'Gorman, the former Derbyshire batsman, and also comprise Chris Tickle, a former employment tribunal judge, and Mike Smith, the former England and Gloucestershire left-arm seamer. They have a range of sanctions open to them including potential suspensions and fines. Any bans could mean Stokes and Hales missing parts of next year's tour to West Indies.

Both players will have legal representation at the hearings - which in itself is unusual for these types of cases - and there could be an appeal process should any sanction be handed down by the CDC. English cricket cannot yet draw a line under this whole, sorry incident.