Ben Stokes becoming injured at the start of the 2010 season meant that Stokes continued playing in all forms of the game for Durham. Having had a very successful debut season in first-class cricket he was given a place in the England Performance Programme and travelled to Australia during the 2010–11 Ashes. On 2 January 2015, Stokes joined the Melbourne Renegades of Australia's Big Bash League for the remainder of the season as a replacement for Jesse Ryder, who was ruled out through injury. On 13 February 2017, Stokes was appointed vice-captain of England's test team, deputising under Joe Root, who was
Ben Stokes teammate Alex Hales was also present. He was released by the police whilst they continued their investigation. This incident led to these two players missing the fourth game of the series, with a hand injury ruling Stokes out of the final game. "The Sun" released video footage that it claimed showed Ben Stokes punching two men. Stokes was initially named in the England squad for the 2017–18 Ashes, but with the legal process still ongoing, he was later withdrawn. He also lost his apparel sponsorship with New Balance. Shortly after being arrested in September 2017, a video emerged which showed