England cricketer Ben Stokes has been stranded in Manchester after having trouble with his visa while trying to go on holiday with his family.
The 32-year-old was forced to ditch his wife and two children at the airport, who boarded their flight to the US without him, leaving him alone in the big city, miles from his family home in County Durham.
But despite his unfortunate circumstances the England captain has been keeping himself and his fans entertained by documenting his shenanigans as he waits for his visa to be approved.
On Tuesday Stokes decided to kill half a day by walking 22km all the way from Manchester City centre to Longwood Park and back again.
Then on Wednesday, he posted a snap of himself dining in Nandos for the third day in a row before watching Manchester United play Sheffield United at Old Trafford just hours later.
England cricketer Ben Stokes has been stranded in Manchester after having trouble with his visa while trying to go on holiday with his family
The 32-year-old posted this picture on his Instagram telling his fans he was stuck waiting for his visa in Manchester after he was forced to ditch his wife and two children at the airport
On Tuesday Stokes decided to kill half a day by walking 22km all the way from Manchester City centre to Longwood Park and back again
Stokes was meant to fly to the US for a trip to Disneyland with his family on Monday, however, due to visa troubles, they were forced to leave without him.
He has since visited the Nandos in Manchester city centre three times, telling his fans that the restaurant is ‘making a good customer out of me’.
On Tuesday he spent four hours aimlessly walking around Manchester, travelling from the city centre to Longwood Park, with a few stops in between.
Sharing his impressive journey to his 2.7 million followers on Instagram, Stokes revealed he had travelled 22.2km, burning just over 1,300 calories in the process.
Later that day he went to the cinema on his own, again hoping to kill a few more hours in his day.
On Wednesday, Stokes tucked in to his third meal at Nandos in as many nights before travelling to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Sheffield United.
The cricketer posted a picture of him sitting in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand of Old Trafford, with the caption: ‘Aye decent’.
The game was sure to have kept him entertained as United went 2-1 down just after half time, before the home side netted three goals in thirty minutes to seal the win.
On Wednesday, Stokes tucked in to his third meal at Nandos in as many nights before travelling to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Sheffield United
The cricketer posted a picture of him sitting in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand of Old Trafford, with the caption: ‘Aye decent’
Despite his hilarious escapades, Stokes has also revealed his heartbreak over missing out on his family holiday.
He posted a picture of his wife and kids at Disneyland, standing next to Mickey Mouse, with the caption: ‘missing my gang’.
It is unclear what the issue with Stokes’ visa is that is preventing him from travelling to the US.
There is a legal rule in the US which requires people travelling into the country to apply for a visa if they have committed a crime involving moral turpitude.
This refers to any ‘act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community’, according to US law.
In 2018 Stokes was found not guilty of affray after he was involved in a street brawl outside a club in Bristol on September 25 2017.
The England all rounder knocked Ryan Hale, 27, to the ground and then knocked out Ryan Ali, 28, in a fight that broke out in the early hours of the morning, for which he was subsequently arrested.
Affray is a public order offence that falls under falls under section three of the Public Order Act 1986.
This states that a person is guilty of affray if they use or threaten to use ‘unlawful violence’ towards another person and causes that person ‘to fear for’ their personal safety.
England captain Ben Stokes practices bowling ahead of the Vitality County Championship Division One match between Warwickshire and Durham at Edgbaston on April 12, 2024
England cricketer Ben Stokes and his wife Clare, arrive at Bristol Crown Court in 2018
Bodycam footage released by Avon and Somerset Police showed the arrest of Stokes in 2017
Earlier this month it was revealed Stokes has withdrawn from the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, to prioritise getting fit to play as an all-rounder in the Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka later this summer.
‘I’m working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket,’ Stokes said in a statement that suggested white-ball international retirement was not in his thinking.
‘Opting out of the Indian Premier League and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future.
‘The recent Test tour of India highlighted how far behind I was from a bowling point of view after my knee surgery and nine months without bowling. I’m looking forward to playing for Durham in the County Championship before the start of our Test summer.’
