ENGLAND cricketer Ben Stokes said yesterday he is “keen to have an opportunity to clear my name” after being charged with affray following an incident outside a nightclub.

The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder is accused of affray alongside two other men.

It follows a fight in the Clifton Triangle area of Bristol during the early hours of September 25 — several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies in the city.

It is alleged a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident, in which fellow England cricketer Alex Hales was also present.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Stokes said he had co-operated fully with the police inquiry.

“I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but, on advice, the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial.

“The CPS’s decision to charge me, as well as Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, at least means that my account of what happened that night can come out in court and be made public.

“Until then, my focus is very much on cricket.”

The Crown Prosecution Service said Stokes would appear at Bristol magistrates’ court on a date to be fixed.