England ace all-rounder Ben Stokes was charged with affray last month. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge along with other two persons involved in the incident, Ryan Hale and Ryan Ali. Stokes could not be a part of the Ashes side while police investigated the Bristol incident.

The first hearing, set for March 12, does not require his presence and the all-rounder has been cleared to play for England. Ben Stokes was named England’s squad ahead of their series against New Zealand. The Test and ODI series will start from February 25.

With a trial set for next month, Stokes will be free to continue in IPL as well. Following the announcement by Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Stokes tweeted, "I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but, on advice, the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial. The CPS' decision to charge me, as well as Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, at least means that my account of what happened that night can come out in court and be made public."

The all-rounder appeared in the court on Monday. Ben Stokes and the other two men involved have been released on unconditional bail by District Judge Simon Cooper. All of them spoke to confirm their names, dates of births, addresses, and nationalities.

An ECB spokesperson reportedly said, "Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad. He departs tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, and will arrive on Friday 16 February, ready to train with England teammates in Hamilton."

"Any decision to include him in upcoming matches will be made by Head Coach Trevor Bayliss and the England management team. He is not currently being considered for the ongoing International T20 Tri-Series.