Ben Stokes scuppers England's hopes of a quiet arrival in New Zealand as he posts travel plans on Instagram

The Durham and England star is excited to be meeting up with his teammates

Ben Stokes pleaded not guilty to affray on Tuesday and left England on Wednesday (Getty)

The ECB’s hopes of a quiet arrival for Ben Stokes in New Zealand were scuppered when the flame-haired all-rounder posted a picture of his boarding pass on Instagram.

Stokes was cleared to fly to New Zealand by the courts and the ECB after entering a not guilty plea at Bristol Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The ECB confirmed that “any decision to include him in upcoming matches will be made by Head Coach Trevor Bayliss and the England management team.”

The 26-year-old star will arrive at Auckland airport on Friday afternoon and then be driven by ECB representatives and a security detail to Hamilton, some 70 miles away. While team officials had hoped for a quiet entry, Stokes has told friends he is desperately excited to be back in the England fold, an excitement which doubtlessly played its part in the accidental publication of his travel plans.

While Stokes is set to land in time for England’s clash with New Zealand on Sunday, he is not expected to take part – even if a likely dead rubber might have been a convenient return for the Durham all-rounder – nor in the final, in the unlikely event England get there.

Instead he will have to wait for the upcoming one-day series, though coach Trevor Bayliss suggested he may be a doubt for the first ODI on February 25th.

“We’d have to see how he is,” said Bayliss. “Normally when we travel, we usually have a couple of days off before we get stuck into it so there are no injuries or anything.

“It’s just up and in the air,” said Bayliss when pressed on Stokes’ playing chances beyond this weekend. “We’ll have to wait and see how he is travel, with the practice.”