Two gay men say England vice-captain and allrounder Ben Stokes was defending them from homophobic abuse when arrested following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub.
Kai Barry, 26, and Billy O'Connell, 20, have told London's Sun newspaper Stokes came to their aid by standing up to threatening bullies.
Stokes was arrested in September on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and released without charge but remains under police investigation.
The 26-year-old, who also suffered a broken finger, will not be with the rest of England's Ashes squad who arrive in Perth on Sunday Australian time, having been suspended following the incident.
Barry and O'Connell claim they met the New Zealand-born Test cricketer and his England team-mate Alex Hales in a nightclub on the evening in question and Stokes bought them drinks.
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The pair said they had no idea who they were.
It was reported Stokes and Hales were later walking along the road near the pair, after leaving the nightclub, when Barry and O'Connell were subjected to homophobic abuse.
"We were so grateful to Ben for stepping in to help. He was a real hero," O'Connell said.
"Kai feared he could be attacked. If Ben hadn't intervened it could have been a lot worse for us."
Barry added: "I'm not a fighter and we didn't want a fight. We could've been in real trouble. Ben was a real gentleman."
The pair claimed they had been unaware of the repercussions of the incident, only finding out when "a policeman came round this week", according to Barry.
"Ben is a really nice guy and I hope he can still play for England in the Ashes," O'Connell added.
"It would be awful (if) his career was ruined over this. He was just trying to help defend Kai."
Journalist and TV presenter Piers Morgan, a celebrity acquaintance of several cricketers, claimed at the time that the fight occurred after Stokes and Hales had defended two gay men from homophobic abuse.
Neil Fairbrother, Stokes' agent with International Sports Management, has said the star will offer a full explanation of his actions "when the time is right".
He has not been ruled out of the five-Test series in Australia, which starts on November 23 but the England and Wales Cricket Board will not consider him for selection until further notice as it awaits developments.
