Ben Stokes to be questioned; path opens for England return after curfew breach

Ten days ago, Ben Stokes was wondering whether his England career had reached its lowest point. There were literally retirement talks. Today, there is a realistic possibility that he could be back in contention for the third Test against New Zealand.

The fallout from the nightclub incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson is still ongoing, but new details from The Telegraph suggest the mood inside the ECB has changed. While both players remain under investigation for breaching England’s midnight curfew, senior officials are increasingly convinced that neither man was responsible for the altercation that left an ECB security officer requiring stitches.

Stokes and Atkinson set for crucial interviews

The next 48 hours will give us more updates. Stokes and Atkinson are expected to be interviewed by the Cricket Regulator before turning out for Durham and Surrey, respectively, in county cricket this week. After getting dropped from the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, both Stokes and Atkinson decided to turn up in domestic circuit and are likely to play in the FC match that starts on June 19.

Those interviews will be part of the investigation after the events that unfolded at Chelsea nightclub Rex Rooms after England’s victory over New Zealand at Lord’s. While the pair have already paid the price by missing the second Test at The Oval, any sort of punishment is yet to be finalised.

As a matter of fact, the Cricket Regulator’s findings will also be shared with England’s team management, meaning both investigations are effectively moving together. If everything is resolved quickly, neither player can be ruled out of contention for the third Test at Trent Bridge.

What actually happened that night?

Initial reports focused on Stokes and Atkinson breaking England’s strict midnight curfew, a rule introduced after a series of off-field incidents during the Ashes tour. But evidence gathered since then suggests the two cricketers were not the aggressors during the confrontation.

The altercation is understood to have started after a disagreement involving Atkinson and a Saracens academy rugby player. During the scuffle, a punch intended for Atkinson allegedly struck ECB security officer James Shaw instead, leaving him needing stitches.

Nobody inside the ECB is defending the curfew breach, particularly given that Stokes himself supported the rule when it was introduced. But there is a feeling that punishing England’s captain as if he started the incident would be unfair.

For now, Stokes’ captaincy remains under review. Joe Root, meanwhile, is leading England at the Oval Test against New Zealand. Meanwhile, the likes of Matthew Fischer, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue are playing as pacers in the absence of Atkinson and Ollie Robinson, who has been ruled out due to an injury.

The post Ben Stokes to be questioned; path opens for England return after curfew breach appeared first on Inside Sport India.

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