Ben Stokes included for T20 Tri-series against Australia and New Zealand

England Cricket Board has named a 16-man squad for the Tri-nation T20 series against Australia and New Zealand which starts from February 3. Surprise selection in the squad has been the inclusion of controversial figure Ben Stokes.

England Cricket Board has named a 16-man squad for the Tri-nation T20 series against Australia and New Zealand which starts from February 3. Surprise selection in the squad has been the inclusion of controversial figure Ben Stokes.

Durham all-rounder has not featured in the English side since his infamous pub brawl in September 2017 and currently awaits the decision on whether he will be charged for his involvement in the altercation.

Shortly after the announcement of the squad, the England and Wales Cricket Board clarified its policy on all-rounder's selection.

“Ben Stokes is included, though his involvement remains subject to any relevant legal or disciplinary developments in relation to the incident in Bristol in September. Should the ECB Board receive formal confirmation that Stokes has either been charged or that he will face no charges, they would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability for the team at that stage.”

All-rounder Stokes was previously named in the England squad for the Ashes and the one-day series against Australia but was dropped in the absence of a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Along with Stokes, Joe Root, Mark Wood, James Vince, Sam Billings and Dawid Malan have also been named in the squad while Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali, who underperformed in the Ashes series, have been rested.

England T20 Tri-Series squad: Eoin Morgan (Captain), Sam  Billings, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.