ICC Clears ECB Over Stokes Dressing Room Video
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- The ICC wrote to the ECB on 4 July flagging the video, filmed in the England dressing room at Trent Bridge during the third Test against New Zealand, as a potential breach of PMOA (players' and match officials' areas) minimum standards.
- The ICC cited article 2.2.11, which bars fixed or temporary cameras in dressing rooms for broadcasting purposes, and said the ECB had previously been told PMOA footage must not carry audio or be released before a match concludes.
- The ECB replied and the matter was concluded amicably, with no formal action taken; neither the ICC nor the ECB has commented publicly.
- Stokes joked on social media "Sack him" in response to reports of the ICC letter.
- The footage was shared with broadcasters and on social media during play on the fourth day, while Stokes was mid-bowling spell at 15:25 BST — his next delivery dismissed New Zealand's Zak Foulkes.
Why it matters: The ICC's decision spares the ECB from sanction over a high-profile retirement announcement that could have set a precedent for dressing room footage. Because PMOA rules exist to support anti-corruption protocols, the ICC resolving the matter "amicably" after the ECB replied preserves the regulator–board relationship while keeping the prohibition on pre-match dressing room footage firmly on the books for future incidents.
