The fiasco surrounding Ben Stokes hasn't stopped. In his absence, England failed miserably in the 2nd Test against New Zealand. He is back for the third Test. The air isn't clear and the situation is still up for debate regarding the final decision.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson breached "contractual obligations" but were blameless for "violent conduct" in a London nightclub; according to an investigation.
Captain Stokes and pace bowler Atkinson were made unavailable for England's second Test defeat by New Zealand pending an inquiry into events that unfolded when they were out celebrating victory in the first Test two weeks ago.
They breached the team's midnight curfew and were present when a member of England's security staff was left bloodied and in need of medical attention when he was struck by Saracens rugby player, Totoa Auvaa.
A disciplinary hearing by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) found Stokes and Atkinson to have "breached specific contractual obligations that require England players to at all times maintain the highest standards of conduct and act in the best interests of England cricket."
Both men have been given a written warning, with no further action added to their removal from the second Test. They have been named in the squad for the deciding Test at Trent Bridge, starting on Thursday, with Stokes restored as captain.
A separate inquiry by the Cricket Regulator has found there was no case to answer, external for Stokes and Atkinson in relation to the nightclub incidents because of insufficient evidence.
"No blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub," the ECB said. "Stokes was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident."
The evidence the ECB has seen demonstrates that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion."
Also Read: The Night Life
At least England were finished by noon this time. New Zealand’s wrapping up of second Test victory inside 50 minutes on a sleepy Sunday morning at the Oval left the afternoon clear for what one would assume was a rather quieter post-match period than that which had followed Lord’s – for Brendon McCullum’s squad at least.
After the Ashes, it was suggested that the England head coach wasn't doing enough media; in this series, that seems to have been addressed but his latest public utterings only served to make more of a mess
What is clear is that Ben Stokes will be back to captain England at Trent Bridge from Thursday and will, in all likelihood, have Gus Atkinson alongside him, too. An internal ECB investigation found that the pair’s absence from the second Test was sufficient punishment for what is now described vaguely as a breach of "specific contractual obligations that require England players to at all times maintain the highest standards of conduct and act in the best interests of England cricket."
The blame for the altercation that allegedly left a member of England’s security team needing stitches was laid squarely elsewhere. "Stokes was not involved in the altercation and did not witness either incident" a statement continued. "The evidence the ECB has seen demonstrates that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion."
Such vagueness has been made necessary by an environment still lacking in detail and discipline. It transpired just before play on the fifth morning, courtesy of a report in The Cricketer, that there had been confusion over the curfew that Stokes and Atkinson had supposedly breached actually existed – at least in official form. The fact that the Cricket Regulator found, essentially, that the pair did not have a case to answer only adds to the confusion.
"Look, even if there is ambiguity, I think we’ve sat here and talked about the curfew, talked about standards, talked about many things we want to be known for as a cricket team," McCullum stressed by way of a defence.
"I think fundamentally, when you represent your country, you have certain standards you need to live up to and you’re not just representing yourself — you’re representing your family, the fans, the country and you’re being paid to do it. Perhaps while there may not have been a hard blueprint potentially, I mean like a hard factual blueprint, everyone knew what was going on."
One could accuse England of lacking a hard factual blueprint in other areas, too. This Stokes shemozzle is just the latest in a lengthening line of mistakes from an environment found wanting too often. Clearly, as has been found, the skipper was wrong to be out at such an hour after the first Test but the fact that the rules may not have been so clearly defined as it first appeared require an even greater level of sympathy than first expressed.
While one must also extend the benefit of the doubt to the ECB for what has been a complex and evolving situation; the fortnight since has not perhaps been ideally handled. They have form on this front: having hidden Harry Brook’s altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand in November, the white-ball captain then admitted to lying initially over the details when news of the incident first emerged at the end of the Ashes.
The centrality of Stokes, due to speak on Wednesday, to this England team has only been highlighted by the pushing to the periphery as the investigation progressed. In the meantime, an unbalanced, inexperienced England slipped to a sixth defeat in their last eight matches. It leaves huge pressure on the Trent Bridge Test.
The XI is likely to look rather different again – and perhaps directly resemble the Lord’s line-up if Ollie Robinson is passed fit – but New Zealand look good for a gallop and showed real rigour and ruthlessness at the Oval. "Never a dull day in English cricket, is there?" McCullum quipped after defeat was confirmed. Without five of them in Nottingham, something may have to give.
Joe Root was the captain for the second Test against New Zealand in Ben Stokes’ absence. Rob Key cited the enormity of the job and Harry Brook’s heavy workload as decisive factors. Brook, already England’s white-ball captain and Test vice-captain, is a key batter across all formats and Key said it wasn't the right time to add interim Test captaincy to his duties. Root’s prior experience leading England in 64 Tests and his reliability under pressure made him the preferred choice.
Rob Key revealed that Harry Brook was ‘absolutely fine’ with not being appointed interim captain and remains committed to doing what is best for the team. Brook continued as vice-captain under Root and maintain his leadership of England’s white-ball sides.
Key highlighted the strong partnership between Root and Brook, suggesting the arrangement could further Brook’s development as a future leader. Sports
The incident has revived scrutiny of player conduct and could prompt stricter off-field rules, including a potential alcohol ban.
Head coach Brendon McCullum said he remains "good friends" with England captain Ben Stokes and the pair have "no idea" why rumours of a rift have emerged.
The pair reunited on Tuesday for England's crucial deciding Test against New Zealand after Stokes missed the second following an incident in a London nightclub.
Both McCullum and Stokes had previously denied their relationship was strained during the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and McCullum has faced questions about their partnership during Stokes' absence.
At Trent Bridge, two days before the third Test against New Zealand, McCullum revealed the pair spoke face-to-face on Tuesday morning.
"I said: 'Do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?'" explained McCullum.
"He said: 'No, I have no idea.' I said to him: 'As far I'm concerned, I consider you a good friend.'"
Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for England's heavy defeat in the second Test during an investigation into a breach of the team's midnight curfew following victory in the first Test at Lord's.
They were present when a member of England security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player. Both have been cleared to rejoin the England squad for the third Test, with Stokes returning as captain.
Two days before the second Test at The Oval, McCullum gave a sombre media conference; when he repeatedly spoke of his "worry" and "concern" for Stokes.
However, Durham's county head coach, Ryan Campbell, later said Stokes was in "good spirits" and the county's chief executive, Tim Bostock, said he was "bemused" by McCullum's comments.
On Tuesday, McCullum said: "My assessment was that I was slightly concerned, worried, now my assessment is that he looks great and is ready to go."
"He looks fantastic, he looks ready to go, he's enthusiastic about the week and obviously from our point of view it's nice to have the band back together."
"It's been a real privilege for me over the past four years to work in intimatedetail and as a partnership alongside Ben. I look back on that fondly about how tight we were as a group and how tight we were as a pair. Anything outside of that, it's not really up to us. Ben and I are tight."
England trained in Nottingham on Tuesday afternoon, a session that began with Stokes and McCullum embracing. They were engaged in discussions with selector, Marcus North, with England due to name their team later in the day.
England have included seamer Ollie Robinson in the squad for the third Test, after he missed the second with a knee injury. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith also returns after paternity leave.
However, pace bowler Sonny Baker and keeper James Rew, who both made their debuts in the second Test, have been left out.
To me, the move made was one out of pure desperation. Had England replicated their first Test performance in the second; I suspect they would ignore Ben Stokes - at least until the Pakistan series in August.
The lack of ccontingencies shows a lack of direction and thinking. I'm not buying the reasoning given for Brooks being ommitted from being named interim captain. Being captain is part of the package when playing. Being a leader just adds another layer to a cricketer's gameplay.