England captain Ben Stokes looks set to miss next week’s second Test against New Zealand following a nightclub disturbance just hours after his team’s series-opening win at Lord’s.
Both Stokes and Gus Atkinson look likely to be stood down for the match at The Oval that starts on Wednesday week after the England & Wales Cricket Board confirmed it is investigating both players for what it has termed an “incident” in the early hours of Monday morning near the team’s Kensington hotel.
The i Paper understands both players were in breach of the midnight curfew England brought in following last winter’s Ashes tour following a string of embarrassing alcohol-fuelled incidents in Australia and New Zealand.
If Stokes does not play next week, his deputy Harry Brook, who was punished for a late-night altercation with a Wellington doorman last October, will lead the team for the second Test.
In an 80-word statement released on Monday evening, the ECB said: “The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand.
“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place. We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.
“The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”
While the ECB have released no further details, The i Paper understands the incident took place at the Rex Rooms on the King’s Road in west London and also involved players from Saracens rugby club, who were holding their end-of-season party at the venue.
The fact the Cricket Regulator has been informed and the ECB mentioned the squad for the second Test in its statement suggests both players are likely to sanctioned for at least the breach of the team curfew.
This is the latest in a long line of late-night incidents that have plagued the team in recent months, with Brook’s Wellington altercation followed by the team’s mid-Ashes break in the Queensland holiday resort of Noosa, where opener Ben Duckett was filmed by members of the public lost, drunk and confused in the early hours of the morning.
This latest revelation at the start of a summer that was meant to offer a fresh start after last winter’s 4-1 defeat in Australia is particularly damaging for the current regime headed by coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key, who have been accused of overseeing a loose, unprofessional team culture where alcohol consumption by the players is an issue.
While there is no indication either Stokes or Atkinson have broken the law, the fact the captain has breached the team curfew sends exactly the wrong message to the rest of the squad at a time when then team had looked to have turned a corner from the winter with their 115-run win against New Zealand at Lord’s.
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