England captain Ben Stokes is set to miss next week's second Test against New Zealand after being caught up in an incident at a London nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning. The incident allegedly involved a Saracens rugby academy player.
Stokes, who turned 35 last week, was named alongside team-mate Gus Atkinson in a statement released at 6 p.m. on Monday by the ECB. The two players broke a midnight curfew that was imposed following last winter's Ashes tour and has remained in place.
Daily Mail Sport understands that an ECB security guard out supervising the players was injured during the incident at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea. The confrontation began after an initial punch was aimed at Atkinson, leading to a melee. Both Stokes and Atkinson are understood to be unhurt.
Altercation at Chelsea Nightclub
Members of the Saracens squad were present at the venue for their end-of-season party on Sunday. The rugby club confirmed last night that they are aware of an incident involving one of their academy players. Daily Mail Sport understands the altercation was not instigated by the two cricketers, who were out drinking near England's Kensington hotel.
Neither Stokes nor Atkinson is expected to be named in England's squad for the match at The Oval next week while an official investigation takes place. Harry Brook will lead the team in his place. Brook was himself the subject of a late-night probe that saw him fined £30,000 and given an official reprimand.
"The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first men's Test against New Zealand," the governing body said in a statement. "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 statement continued. "The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible."
Regulator Investigation and Recent Controversies
The Cricket Regulator is an independent body that investigates cases of misconduct. It will examine the behaviour of the players following England's 115-run victory over New Zealand at Lord's, a match where Atkinson took figures of seven for 39.
The incident comes as a blow for a governing body working to clean up the image of the national team. England suffered a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia on a tour that followed Brook being punched by a bouncer at a Wellington night spot. That tour also featured a boozy mid-series break in Noosa likened to a stag do.
A late-night video posted on social media during the Queensland trip showed opener Ben Duckett appearing to be intoxicated. Rob Key, the ECB men's director of cricket, investigated the team's time in Noosa but denied that a drinking culture existed.
However, details later emerged that Brook had been investigated for staying out past curfew on Halloween night, just hours before a one-day international defeat to New Zealand. Brook, 27, initially issued a statement claiming he had been alone, but later admitted he was covering up for Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue.
Player Misconduct Rules and Previous Offences
Brook apologised for lying, and all three players were subjected to an inquiry by the regulator. Brook and Bethell were handed caution notices for contravening player conduct rules, while no further action was taken against Tongue, who was in New Zealand in a training capacity.
During the subsequent white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the Twenty20 World Cup, England players avoided late-night drinking in public, though they mingled with fans in hotel bars to celebrate victories.
On Sunday, Stokes told a post-match press conference that he was looking forward to sharing a celebratory beer with his team-mates in the dressing room after securing a quick victory on a lottery of a Lord's pitch. Ironically, Stokes had given up alcohol for large parts of the winter to rebuild fitness after fracturing his cheekbone in a freak net incident with Durham.
The second Test begins on June 17. Selectors Rob Key, Brendon McCullum, and Marcus North are expected to be instructed by ECB bosses that Stokes and Atkinson cannot be considered for selection while under investigation.
In 2018, Stokes was cleared of affray following a fight outside a Bristol nightclub after an England one-day international at the end of the 2017 season. That incident cost him a place on the 2017-18 Ashes tour, and this latest investigation is set to side-line him once again.