Police renew appeal for witnesses in Stokes' street brawl incident

English police have renewed their appeal for two men, who could be `key witnesses` to the incident that has placed talismanic England all-rounder Ben Stokes' place in the Ashes tour in jeopardy.

Stokes was withdrawn from the Ashes squad by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in the wake of pending investigation into the incident that led to his arrest in Bristol on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. Hales was with Stokes at that time.

The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder was released without charge but remains under police investigation.

Hales, who was also with Stokes during the incident that took place outside Mbargo nightclub in the Clifton area of Bristol in the early hours of September 25, has also been made unavailable for selection by the ECB.

Hales' lawyer, however, had said last week that he would be "surprised" if he faced further action.

Last week, Stokes' agent Neil Fairbrother had said that the all-rounder would give a full explanation of his action "when the time is right".

According to ESPNcricinfo, Stokes had claimed to both the police and to the ECB in their internal investigation that he was coming to the aid of two men who had been subjected to homophobic abuse prior to the incident.

Following a previous appeal on September 28 for two key witnesses to come forward, Somerset and Avon Police have launched a fresh appeal into the matter.

"One of the men is described as white, of slim build, 5ft 9in tall and aged in his early 20s. He had short dark brown hair, was clean shaven and wore a white T-shirt with a sleeveless jumper, jeans and trainers," the police said in a statement.

"The second man is also white, 5ft 9in tall and aged in his early 20s but is of a slightly larger build. He had short light brown hair, was also clean shaven and wore a long-sleeved round neck T-shirt, dark/black skinny jeans and trainers," the statement continued.

In Stokes' absence, Steven Finn was roped into the squad as Stokes' replacement for the full five-match Test series.

The much-awaited Ashes series will begin at the Gabba in Brisbane on 23 November. 

-ANI