England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been cleared by the England and Wales Cricket Board to resume his international career.
Stokes was charged with affray following an investigation into an alleged street fight in Bristol last September and is now expected to join up with his English teammates for the T20 series with Australia and New Zealand next month.
In an official statement, the ECB said it "would not be fair" to keep the one-time superstar sidelined, despite being charged by the Avon & Somerset Police.
"Following a full Board discussion, in which all considerations were taking into account, the ECB Board has agreed that Ben Stokes should now be considered for England selection," an ECB statement read.
"Given the CPS decision to charge him and two others with affray, confirmation of his intention to contest the charge and the potential length of time to trial, the Board agreed that it would not be fair, reasonable or proportionate for Ben Stokes to remain unavailable for a further indeterminate period."
The statement continued by saying Stokes would not appear in the Australian leg of the tri-series, with his first appearance likely to come in Wellington when England play New Zealand on February 13.
