Cricket Scandals: The Bristol Bar Brawl That Nearly Ended Ben Stokes’ Career

But cricket has not always been the only way in which Stokes has made the headlines. In 2017, the English all-rounder made it to the headlines all over the world after engaging in a physical altercation outside a bar. Let’s have a look at the street fight which almost ended Ben Stokes’ career.

Violence Breaks Out After ODI Win

The West Indies and England faced off in an ODI series, with the second match played on 24 September 2017 at Bristol. England won the game easily, with the help of massive innings by Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, and Joe Root. After the match, Stokes decided to go on a night out to celebrate the win, as Alex Hales agreed to join him for the same.

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were present at the Mbargo NightClub, and spent some time over there. In the early hours of 25 September, both of the star cricketers were also spotted outside the club. Spotting them wasn’t something extraordinary, but it turned out to be a life-changing moment when Ben Stokes got involved in a physical altercation with two individuals, Ryan Ali and Ryan Gale.

The confrontation between the three of them escalated quickly, and Stokesy ended up beating the duo with his bare hands. The CCTV footage and reports also show that the English all-rounder landed punches on both Ali and Hale. Following this, Ryan Ali suffered from a fracture in his eye socket, while Ryan Hale was knocked unconscious. It all started as a normal night out for Stokes, but ended up in a street fight. Police came just in time to arrest Ben Stokes on the scene, and he spent the night in police custody.

Stokes Cleared, But Doubts Remain

After the incident, Ben Stokes was charged with affray by the police, which is a public order offence including fights in a public place. This incident went viral over a few hours, as the English all-rounder, who should’ve been on the news for his quick half-century, went down as a controversial figure. The CCTV footage of the brawl was also quickly spread, as fans saw Stokes throwing multiple punches at both individuals.

The trial for this event was delayed to a great extent, as it finally took place in August 2018. Taking place at the Bristol Crown Court, Ben Stokes spoke to his defence, stating that he threw punches in an act of self-defence and also defended the other individuals present at the scene. He also said that Ali and Hale did homophobic abuse to two gay men, Kai Barry and William O’Connor.

Stokes continued by saying that he wanted to protect the two men and felt obligated for the same, due to which he intervened in this matter. He also said that someone from Ryan Ali or Ryan Hale threatened to hit him with a glass bottle, due to which Stokes had to fight for his safety, resulting in a street brawl. Witnesses also proved that the all-rounder did it all to defend himself and the other two gay men, which later became his narrative for defence.

The trial took place for six days, and Ben Stokes was found not guilty in the same. However, Stokes and Ali were acquitted of affray, but it was also said that the actions taken by the former were taken for his defence. With Stokes being cleared by the court, he faced mixed reactions from the public. Some fans said that what the English all-rounder did was great, while others also said that he reacted way too much, looking forward to the injuries suffered by Ali and Hale.

Consequences for His Cricket Career

Although Ben Stokes had been released as not guilty by the Bristol Crown Court, his troubles didn’t end there. He faced penalties from the England Cricket Board immediately after the incident, missing out on the entire Ashes series and a few games against the West Indies and India. With his exclusion from the squad, the RCB also faced severe backlash from the media.

Besides that, Stokes also had to pay a €30,000 fine for the involvement of the sport and the cricket board in his incident, damaging its reputation. Along with that, he also had a suspension for a few games, which was served by the time the trial was finished. He also lost his sponsorship with New Balance, which is one of the most popular brands among sports enthusiasts.

There had already been a lot of damage done to the image of Ben Stokes with the incident, as his exclusion from the England team and losing sponsorships acted as a major blow to the all-rounder. To many fans, it also seemed that his career is now almost over.

Redemption and Return

When the all-rounder had completed his suspension from the England squad, he marked one of the greatest comebacks ever known in the history of cricket. He worked hard to build his performances on the field, as he played a heroic role for the English team to win the 2019 World Cup. In the final match against New Zealand, Ben Stokes was awarded as the Player of the Match, as England won the super over to lift the title.

Following the World Cup victory, England hosted the Ashes against Australia, where Stokes also showcased what the English team missed when he was not there. In the Headingley Test, he played an impressive innings to score 135 runs, which helped England to win the match, and this further helped him to regain the public’s attention and trust.