Hales cleared by police, available for England selection - ECB

REUTERS - England batsman Alex Hales will not face criminal charges over an incident in Bristol in September and is available for national team selection, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.

The 28-year-old opening batsman was with all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm during an altercation outside a nightclub.

The pair were suspended by the ECB from international cricket until further notice.

"The ECB Board has convened via conference call to make the decision after being informed that Hales is deemed a witness and will face no charges," the ECB said in a statement.

"The independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) has stayed the internal disciplinary process for both Alex Hales and Ben Stokes until the conclusion of any potential criminal proceedings relating to the incident."

Hales, who has not played test cricket since last year, is a key member of the England one-day and Twenty20 teams and is now available for the limited-overs part of the Ashes tour which starts in January.

The ECB has also cleared Hales to play in the inaugural T10 Cricket League in Dubai this month.

Stokes, still suspended by England, is playing domestic cricket for Canterbury in New Zealand.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)