England head coach Brendon McCullum said he was angry with Ben Stokes after the nightclub incident involving his captain and fast bowler Gus Atkinson that led to their omission from the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.
However, McCullum conveyed he is also concerned about Stokes and Atkinson. “You go from being bewildered, to angry, to gutted. Quickly through talking to Ben and Gus, my emotion turned to worry and concern, for Ben in particular,” McCullum told reporters on Monday.
Stokes and Atkinson were dropped from England’s XI for the second Test, with veteran Joe Root being named interim captain. The pair breached the team’s midnight curfew and were reportedly present when an England security staff member was involved in an incident with a Saracens rugby player.
McCullum said he is in constant touch with Stokes to ensure his well being, and decisions regarding his captaincy will be taken at a later stage.
“Our concern is with Ben. Our concern is handling that situation, making sure we look after him, that he feels supported by us and in communication with us. We need to make sure we look after him, rally around him, and in time we will get on to those sorts of decisions,” McCullum said.
“Whatever he is working through at the moment, it will be because Ben thinks that is right for dealing with what he is feeling at the moment. We have always had the best intentions of English cricket at the core of what we are trying to achieve and the decisions we are trying to make. Right now, I have a lot of respect, a lot of care for Ben, and I am doing what I can to support him,” he added.
The controversy is the latest off field issue for England after vice captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington in October, while videos during the Ashes showed players drinking during a break in Noosa.
Although managing director Rob Key played down talk of a “drinking culture” in March, the ECB introduced a strict midnight curfew.
Stokes was involved in an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017 but was later cleared of charges. He took a break from cricket in 2021 to prioritise his mental well being.
(With Reuters inputs)
