Stuart Broad cited illness for failing to attend the launch, according to the Mirror.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has denied accusations of a boozy night out after he missed a launch for the upcoming series against the Black Caps.

Broad, who is an ambassador for England test sponsors Investec, was expected to show up for an event at 9.30am on Thursday but, according to the Daily Mail, didn't return home until 7am after a night out with former England team mates Andrew Flintoff and Matt Prior.

He was dobbed in by a receptionist at the hotel he was staying at who saw him return in the early hours of the morning, and Flintoff tweeted about the trio's boozy night out before hastily deleting the evidence.

Broad however has denied the accusations.

According to The Mirror the 28-year-old cited illness for failing to attend the event - and the England Cricket Board was said to be satisfied he was telling the truth.

A spokesman said: "We are aware Stuart Broad was scheduled to appear at a sponsors' event, but was unable to, and we were told it was due to illness."

Broad's missing of the launch comes as the England Cricket Board lurches from disaster to disaster in the wake of the scandal which saw Kevin Pietersen denied a return to the test team for the New Zealand series. It comes in the first week in the job for the England Cricket Board's new director of cricket, Andrew Strauss.

A New Zealand XI is currently playing Worcestershire in a warm-up match ahead of the first test against England at Lord's from May 21.