ENGLAND all-rounder Ben Stokes became involved in a street brawl after he defended two gay men who were being subjected to abuse, it has been claimed.
Journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan has said the 26-year-old was responding to homophobic taunts made to the two men, which led to the fracas which was caught on video and published by the Sun on Thursday.
The fight led to Stokes’ arrest in Bristol during the early hours of Monday morning.
In a series of posts on his Twitter account, Morgan said: “I’m hearing that Ben Stokes intervened to help two gay guys who were being abused by yobs, one of whom was armed with a bottle.”
Morgan, a friend of several high-profile cricketers, added: “Stokes has told friends he was incensed by the homophobic taunts, then saw the bottle being raised & decided to defend himself.”
The BBC has reported that Stokes, who was named in the England squad for this winter’s Ashes tour to Australia on Wednesday, is “fragile and devastated” after being arrested and later released under investigation on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.
It also claims the vice-captain, who is nursing a broken finger, has apologised to the England and Wales Cricket Board, whose officials have viewed the video published by the newspaper.
A police investigation into the incident is ongoing with officers appealing for anyone with information or video footage to come forward.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: “A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and was later released under investigation.”
Hours before his arrest, Stokes had scored 73 in a 124-run One Day International victory over the West Indies, but he was unavailable for Wednesday series-clinching win at the Kia Oval.
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