Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes will join the England squad in New Zealand after the star all-rounder pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of affray over a nightclub incident that forced him out of the Ashes tour. The 26-year-old all-rounder appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court in the southwest of England along with two other men and was granted bail before the next hearing in the case takes place on March 12 at Bristol Crown Court. The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement shortly after Stokes's first court appearance confirming his travel plans but he is not expected to make an immediate return after nearly five months out of the side. "Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates' Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad," said an ECB spokesman.