Ben Stokes is understood to be considering his future as an England cricketer after he and fast bowler Gus Atkinson broke the team’s midnight curfew on Monday morning.
Stokes could still be banned for the rest of the three-match series against New Zealand, while Atkinson may face a less severe punishment – possibly a one-match ban, which would rule him out of the second Test at The Oval, his home ground, starting on June 17.
With the ECB’s investigation ongoing into the events at the Rex Rooms nightclub in Chelsea, where a member of the team’s security staff was allegedly struck by Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa, Stokes has been at home in the north-east weighing up his options.
One source close to the dressing-room described questions surrounding his future as ‘up in the air’. Another told Daily Mail Sport: ‘I don’t know if even he knows yet what he wants to do.’
The mood at Lord’s remains unwavering after the latest drink-related incident to dominate English cricket’s headlines – not least because Stokes himself was one of the architects, along with head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, of the curfew imposed after the disastrous tour of Australia. There is angry talk at HQ of the captain bringing the game into disrepute.
Stokes, who turned 35 on the first day of England’s 115-run win over New Zealand at Lord’s, must now decide whether to pursue his ambition of regaining the Ashes when Australia visit next summer.
Ben Stokes’ international future is in doubt after he was caught up in a nightclub melee in the early hours of Monday morning
An ECB security guard was injured after the incident at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea
Stokes was at the venue with Gus Atkinson after England’s first Test win over New Zealand
A two-match ban would give Harry Brook the chance to convert the 1–0 lead into a series victory and embark on a new era for English cricket.
Brook would then be in charge of both the red-and white-ball set-ups, cementing the good relationship he struck up with McCullum during the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka and subsequent T20 World Cup in the subcontinent.
There is no guarantee, either, that Stokes would be picked on merit if the captaincy were no longer his.
Scores of 12 and nought at Lord’s extended his poor sequence with the bat to 35 runs in seven innings, and came after his demotion to No 7 below wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Insiders point to the fact that Stokes has had to contend with a lot in the past few months – from the Ashes disappointment to the facial injury that delayed his return for Durham earlier this season to speculation over his relationship with McCullum.
Now he must decide whether he’s had enough.
