George Hankins, who plays for Gloucestershire Country Cricket Club, has been charged with drink driving after an incident in Surrey on Sunday (April 19).

Hankins, 23, from Keynsham, was arrested after a collision in Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Gloucestershire Live reports.

Hankins is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on July 21.

A statement from Gloucestershire County Cricket Club said: “Gloucestershire Cricket has been made aware of an incident – being investigated by Surrey Police – regarding one of its players.

“The club is in touch with the player concerned and has initiated a full internal investigation.

“As this is a police matter, the club will not be commenting further at the present time.”

Hankins attended Millfield School in Somerset where in his final year in 2015 he captained the first eleven and scored exactly 1,000 runs.

A right-handed batsman who also bowls right-arm off breaks he made his first-class debut for Gloucestershire against Durham MCCU in March 2016.

He made his first List A debut in the 2017 Royal London One-Day Cup in May 2017 and his 2020 debut for Gloucestershire in the following July.

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A Gloucestershire cricketer has been charged with drink-driving after a car crash in Surrey.

Batsman George Hankins, of Keynsham, near Bristol, was arrested after the collision in Portsmouth Road, Cobham, on 19 April.

The 23-year-old is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court in July.

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club said it had “been made aware of an incident – being investigated by Surrey Police – regarding one of its players”.

“The club is in touch with the player concerned and has initiated a full internal investigation,” a spokesman added.

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Jonny Hauxwell

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Jonny Hauxwell

A professional cricketer has been charged with drink-driving following a crash in a residential area of Cobham.

Surrey Police was called to Portsmouth Road at around 8.45pm on Sunday (April 19) to reports of a collision, with photographs from the scene showing at least three badly damaged cars and debris scattered across the area.

It has since been confirmed that George Hankins, who plays first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, has been charged with drink-driving in connection with the incident.

The 23-year-old batsman has been released on unconditional bail and is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on July 21.

His club said in a statement: “Gloucestershire Cricket has been made aware of an incident – being investigated by Surrey Police – regarding one of its players, who has been based in Surrey during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

“The club is in touch with the player concerned and has initiated a full internal investigation. As this is a police matter, the club will not be commenting further at the present time.”

Mr Hankins, of Trajectus Way in Keynsham, Bristol, signed a two-year deal with Gloucestershire, who play in the same league as Surrey’s cricketing side.

He made his first-class cricket debut for the side in March 2016.

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England cricketer Ben Stokes has pleaded not guilty after being accused of fighting outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder is charged with affray after a man allegedly suffered a broken eye socket.

At Bristol Crown Court on Monday, Mr Stokes denied the charges via video link from New Zealand where he is on duty with the England squad.

Mr Stokes is accused jointly with Ryan Hale and Ryan Aslam Ali.

Mr Hale, 26, and 28-year-old Mr Ali, both from Bristol, also deny the same charge of affray.

The trial date has been set for 6 August and the three defendants were granted unconditional bail.

Mr Stokes, Mr Hale and Mr Ali were detained early on 25 September following a disturbance in the Clifton Triangle area of the city – several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies.

What is affray?

The charge of affray is made under the Public Order Act 1986 and effectively relates to fighting in public.

It is a triable either-way offence, which means it can be heard in either the magistrates’ court or the crown court.

It carries a maximum penalty when tried summarily – in the magistrates’ court – of a fine or up to six months in prison, and when tried on indictment – in the crown court – of up to three years in prison.

As a result of the charge, Mr Stokes missed the Ashes series, which hosts Australia won 4-0, although he was allowed to play some domestic matches in New Zealand.

England declared him available once more after he indicated a plea of not guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court in February.

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England are due to play the first test match of a five-game series against India at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham between 1-5 August, with Mr Stokes’s trial due to start a day later.

The trial is expected to last between five and seven days, which means there is a risk Mr Stokes could miss the second test which starts at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 9 August.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: “We fully respect the legal process and the player’s right to defend himself against the charge.”

In January the ECB said that, “given the potential length of time to trial”, it would not be “fair, reasonable or proportionate for Ben Stokes to remain unavailable for a further indeterminate period”.

Top Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami has been charged with domestic violence following a complaint by his wife.

Police say the 27-year-old fast bowler has also been charged under laws related to attempted murder, poisoning and criminal intimidation.

Mr. Shami was dropped from a list of contracted players for the national team announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on 8 March.

He denied his wife’s allegations earlier this week.

The charges against the player, who has represented India 87 times in all formats of the game since 2012, carry prison terms of 10 years or more.

How did the allegations emerge?

Mr. Shami’s wife, Hasin Jahan, accused him earlier this week of adultery and domestic violence.

On Tuesday, Ms. Jahan posted a series of messages that Mr. Shami had allegedly sent to women during their four-year marriage on her Facebook account.

He had several affairs, she alleged, and “tortured [me] physically and mentally over and over again”.

The player, who has won 30 Test caps, dismissed the claims, calling them “part of a big conspiracy” against him and “an attempt to defame” him.

“What is being said about my personal life is completely false,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ms. Jahan has also filed a rape complaint against Mr. Shami’s elder brother.

A BCCI supervisory committee said the allegations had put them in a difficult position.

“We are in a bit of Catch 22,” Vinod Rai, chairman of the committee, told cricket website ESPNcricinfo.

“Ordinarily you would distinguish and say that is a personal issue and the

contract is a professional issue.

“But someone could easily point out and say this allegation is an unsavoury one and you are still rewarding him.” (BBC Sport)

 

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Top Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami has been charged with domestic violence following a complaint by his wife.

Police say the 27-year-old fast bowler has also been charged under laws related to attempted murder, poisoning and criminal intimidation.

Mr Shami was dropped from a list of contracted players for the national team announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on 8 March.

He denied his wife’s allegations earlier this week.

The charges against the player, who has represented India 87 times in all formats of the game since 2012, carry prison terms of 10 years or more.

How did the allegations emerge?

Mr Shami’s wife, Hasin Jahan, accused him earlier this week of adultery and domestic violence.

On Tuesday, Ms Jahan posted a series of messages that Mr Shami had allegedly sent to women during their four-year marriage on her Facebook account.

He had several affairs, she alleged, and “tortured [her] physically and mentally over and over again”.

The player, who has won 30 Test caps, dismissed the claims, calling them “part of a big conspiracy” against him and “an attempt to defame” him.

“What is being said about my personal life is completely false,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ms Jahan has also filed a rape complaint against Mr Shami’s elder brother.

• Mohammad Shami: Contract on hold after adultery and domestic violence claims
• Mohammed Shami, India cricketer, defends wife against Twitter trolls

What is the cricket board’s position?

A BCCI supervisory committee said the allegations had put them in a difficult position.

“We are in a bit of Catch 22,” Vinod Rai, chairman of the committee, told cricket website ESPNcricinfo.

“Ordinarily you would distinguish and say that is a personal issue and the contract is a professional issue.

“But someone could easily point out and say this allegation is an unsavoury one and you are still rewarding him.”