3 min learnUp to date: Jun 8, 2026 11:20 PM IST
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated on Monday that it’s investigating captain Ben Stokes and quick bowler Gus Atkinson over an undisclosed “incident” in a “nightclub within the early hours of Monday morning”. ECB stated that it was investigating “a breach of crew protocols” within the hours after England beat New Zealand by 115 runs within the first Take a look at at Lord’s.
“The ECB is presently investigating a breach of crew protocols following the conclusion of the primary Males’s Take a look at in opposition to New Zealand. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson had been current at a nightclub within the early hours of Monday morning when an incident happened,” stated the board in an announcement on Monday
“We’re presently looking for additional info, and an announcement relating to the squad for the second Take a look at can be made sooner or later. The Cricket Regulator has been knowledgeable and we are going to present an additional replace when attainable.”
Stokes had stated after the match that he was conscious of how a lot England would’ve been criticised had they did not win the primary Take a look at, earlier than stating he’s trying forwarding having a “correct beer with the boys.”
“I knew how huge this recreation was by way of the outcome and the way it was going to be perceived externally if it didn’t go properly, however now it’s gone properly,” Stokes stated. “I in all probability received’t be actual glad and smiling till I rise up there and share a correct beer with the boys.”
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The event comes months after England’s off-field behaviour got here underneath heavy scrutiny throughout their excursions of New Zealand and Australia late final 12 months. England had been accused of getting a “consuming tradition” of their dressing room, with their behaviour throughout a controversial mid-series break throughout a reasonably disastrous Ashes in Australia particularly coming underneath scrutiny.
It later emerged that England’s limited-overs captain Harry Brook was concerned in an incident in a nightclub in the course of the tour of New Zealand that occurred earlier than the Ashes. The truth that the incident had occurred on the night time earlier than the third match of a sequence that England had already misplaced 2-0 and went on to be swept clear 3-0 solely added extra gas to the fireplace. Furthermore, the information got here out within the type of a leak greater than a month later whereas England had been struggling to compete with Australia within the Ashes and the ECB had quietly investigated the incident internally and reprimanded Brook.
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England went on to lose the 4-1, making greater than a decade since they final held the covetted urn, after which England’s managing director Rob Key stated that he’ll examine England gamers’ conduct throughout their mid-Ashes break in Noosa and if the crew did certainly drink excessively.
“If there’s issues the place persons are saying that our gamers went out and drank excessively then after all we’ll be trying into that,” Key had stated. “Ingesting extreme quantities of alcohol for a world cricket crew isn’t one thing that I’d count on to see at any stage, and it could be a fault to not look into what occurred there. However from the whole lot that I’ve heard up to now, they had been very properly behaved.”