Ben Stokes, missing from England’s failed Ashes campaign as he waits to hear if he will be charged with actual bodily harm after September’s late-night fracas in Bristol, may conceivably not be back in international cricket for up to a year.

The suspended England all-rounder, who returned home to Durham for “family reasons” after a month-long spell in New Zealand with Canterbury Kings, could now agree an IPL deal for a second successive year.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison explained it is likely to be up to Stokes to decide if the time is right to return to India next spring, with the Crown Prosecution Service scheduled shortly to advise on whether he faces criminal charges.

The ECB granted the 26-year-old a no-objection certificate to play in New Zealand, and he is also provisionally selected in a 16-man squad for the one-day international leg of England’s tour of Australia in January.

Stokes landed himself rs 14.5 crore deal and starring role with Rising Pune Supergiant last year. The auction will take place on January 27-28 in Bengaluru.