Stokes & Atkinson investigated over nightclub breach
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- The ECB and Saracens are investigating a nightclub incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson in the early hours of Monday morning, after England's 115-run win over New Zealand at Lord's on Sunday.
- The ECB confirmed the pair committed a 'breach of team protocols' and said the investigation 'relates to more than a breach of the curfew' that remains in place for all England players and staff.
- The midnight curfew was first introduced after Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand, and carried over from the January Sri Lanka tour and T20 World Cup.
- Gus Atkinson, 28, took seven wickets in the match including 5-30 in the second innings, while Ben Stokes managed just 12 in the first innings and a three-ball duck in the second.
- The England squad for the second Test at The Oval, beginning 17 June, is due to be named, and the investigation could lead to the omission of Stokes and Atkinson from the side.
- In 2017, Stokes was charged with affray following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub; he was cleared the following summer and missed the 2017-18 Ashes tour as a result.
Why it matters: Because the ECB says the probe 'relates to more than a breach of the curfew' and has informed the Cricket Regulator, Stokes' restored Test captaincy — rebuilt this summer after the Ashes drinking-culture fallout — is in real jeopardy ahead of the 17 June squad announcement. ECB chairman Richard Thompson and chief executive Richard Gould, who publicly backed the Stokes-McCullum-Key regime, now face scrutiny over their own judgment.
