ben stokes was reportedly having “double rum and cokes with England rugby captain Maro Itoje” before he was involved in a nightclub brawl with another rugby player. The incident could potentially end his term as England cricket captain, while there are reports suggesting he might retire too. The incident happened on Sunday night after England outplayed New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test of the summer at Lord’s. TalkSport reported on Tuesday that Stokes is likely to step down from his role and could also announce his retirement.
According to a report in Daily MailStokes and team-mate gus atkinson were at the White Horse in Parsons Green, south-west London on Sunday evening. “Hours later, a brawl over tables in the VIP area of the club broke out at Rex Rooms in Chelsea,” the report stated.
“Stokes, 35, arrived at the pub in south-west London at around 9 pm, where bar staff said he already appeared ‘tipsy’. He hovered by the bar, ordering ‘enormous’ rounds including ‘plenty’ of double rum and cokes at up to GBP 25 each, before leaving at 11 pm.”
The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Test against New Zealand. Stokes and 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 Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible,” ECB said.
Harry Brookthe team’s vice-captain, had apologized for an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand last year.
Former England pacer Steve Harmison came in Stokes’ defence.
“When the full facts come to light, then I think we can make judgment. Ben’s a great kid. He’s an honest lad and he’s somebody who will know whether he’s overstepped the boundaries or not,” Harmison told TalkSport.
“I’m fully behind him and he’ll do whatever needs to be done in this situation once the facts come out. So I’ve got no issue with that. I’ve known Ben since he was 15 years old.
“What I want to happen now is to make sure there’s a protective arm around Atkinson and Stokes at the minute because there’s a duty of care from a team point of view to make sure their mental well-being is alright.
“Because we don’t know the facts and there’s a lot of things going on here, but there’s two lads here who I think need looking after from a team point of view.” The second Test against New Zealand begins at The Oval on June 17.
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