Who is Alex Hales? England cricketer banned indefinitely by the ECB after Bristol incident with Ben Stokes

The Nottignhamshire batsman is famous for his big-hitting style and has represented England in all three formats

Hales is an England batsman but has been suspended until further notice (Getty)

Ben Stokes has been banned from playing cricket for England until further notice after being recorded in a brawl on the streets of Bristol.

The Durham all-rounder is being investigated by police for alleged actual bodily harm after a 27-year-old man was hospitalised on Sunday night at around 2.30am.

But teammate Alex Hales has also been suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board - who revealed that he had returned to Bristol to help police with their enquiries.

So who is the England batsman?

Who is Alex Hales?

Hales is a 28-year-old batsman born in Middlesex but who made his name with Nottinghamshire.

As a teenaged prodigy, Hales was representing Buckinghamshire and was a handy fast bowler but it was with the bat that he would eventually catch the eye of the professional game - hitting an astonishing 55 off a single over (eight sixes and one four from an over with three no-balls) in a T20 tournament at Lord's.

In 2007, Notts handed him a trial and he progressed to second-team cricket and earned a two-year deal.

Hales would make his List A and four-day debuts in the summer of 2008. The next summer he blitzed 150 runs from 102 balls in the Pro40 which would become the competition's highest score.

By 2011 he was being watched by England selectors and that winter he would get his first full call-up, having previously represented his country at Under-19 and Lions level. In August 2011 he made his international debut, in the T20 against India.

In 2014, ODI honours followed and a year later, in the boxing day Test at Durban, Hales made his Test match debut.

What is special about him?

Hales is an explosive batsman who made his name in the shorter forms before graduating through eventually to Test cricket.

He has played some high-profile, destructive knocks, not least this summer at Lord's when he smashed 187* to fire Notts to Royal London Cup victory. It was the highest-ever score in a one-day cup final, surpassing Geoffrey Boycott and achieved at a far greater lick.

Hales's height - he is 6ft 5in - helps him lever the ball straight and his driving down the ground is devastating. He hits the ball hard and long but has also shown the necessary patience to succeed in longer forms of the game after shrugging off advice to simply become a T20 specialist.

The Notts man averages nearly 40 in first-class cricket during his career but in 11 Tests he went at just over 27 a knock and became another discarded opening batsman. Hales remains in a strong position for a recall but hasn't scored enough first-class runs this season to push his case.

Why is he banned?

Alex Hales was out with Ben Stokes and a number of England teammates on Sunday night after they had beaten West Indies in the third ODI.

Following the incident in relation to which Stokes has been arrested and questioned, Hales returned to Bristol to help police with their enquiries - according to a statement released by the ECB.

At no point was Hales arrested, but English cricket's governing body has nonetheless taken the decision to suspend him until the case is resolved by authorities.