Under fire England cricketer Ben Stokes has been pictured smoking a cigarette with his hand in a bandage at a teammate’s wedding in France.
Stokes, 26, was arrested over a late night brawl in Bristol last month in which he allegedly threw 15 punches in a minute.
Pictures have now emerged of Stokes at the side of a swimming pool holding a cigarette while nursing his hand in a bandage.
Under fire England cricketer Ben Stokes (with the cap on) has been pictured smoking with a hand in a bandage at a teammate’s wedding in France
Stokes was seen relaxing poolside after enduring a stressful few weeks that saw him arrested in the wake of a street brawl
Stokes was pictured enjoying a meal while he took a break from his troubles at home. His hand was clearly bandaged after he was allegedly involved in a brawl last month
The images were taken while Stokes enjoyed England teammate Jason Roy’s wedding.
Alex Hales, who was with Stokes on the night of the alleged brawl, was also at the wedding, as was one-day captain Eoin Morgan.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced it is renewing Stokes’ £700,000-a-year contract, despite the fact he is facing a potential assault charge after a 27-year-old man was left in hospital with facial injuries.
But the all-rounder, who has been compared to Sir Ian Botham for his ability with both bat and ball, has been dropped from the England squad travelling to Australia later this month for the Ashes series.
The ECB has not made a final decision on whether he will play for England later this winter.
He was suspended on full pay after footage appeared to show him fighting two men close to the Mbargo nightclub in Bristol in the early hours of September 25.
Ben Stokes (right) is in France to celebrate the wedding of his England teammate Jason Roy (left)
Several members of the England cricket team were pictured in France, including Jos Buttler, Sam Billings, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Alex Hales (front row)
England captain Eoin Morgan posed for a picture while in France celebrating a teammate’s wedding
A source close to the England team claimed the altercation had been a result of Stokes defending two gay men.
Avon and Somerset Police are still waiting to speak to ‘two specific witnesses’, who are yet to come forward, before a decision is made on whether to charge Stokes.
The player, who is engaged to the mother of his two children Clare Ratcliffe, could also lose a contract worth up to £1.7million in the Indian Premier League next year.
