AFP, WELLINGTON: Suspended England allrounder Ben Stokes landed in New Zealand Wednesday, joking about "working on my golf swing" amid speculation he is set for a dramatic Ashes call-up.

The fiery allrounder was tight-lipped after touching down in Christchurch, where he hopes to play first-class cricket for the Canterbury in New Zealand's domestic one-day competition.

Kiwi-born Stokes said he was looking forward to seeing his parents in the South Island city he left when he was 12.

“It's been that long since I've been back here, I'm 26 now," he told reporters, refusing to discuss the trolley full of cricket gear he was pushing and instead quipping about golf.

Stokes is barred from international cricket as British police investigate his alleged involvement in a late-night fight outside a Bristol nightclub.

But the suspension announced in September does not apply to domestic cricket, meaning Stokes could turn out for Canterbury as early as this Sunday.