England Test captain Ben Stokes could step down from the role and may retire from cricket following the nightclub controversy in which he and teammate Gus Atkinson were involved, according to a report by talkSPORT.The development comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation into an incident involving Stokes and Atkinson in a nightclub in the early hours of Monday, hours after England’s 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.Speaking on talkSPORT, George Dobell, chief reporter at The Cricketer, said he had been told Stokes could choose to stand down himself rather than wait for disciplinary action.“My fear from everything I hear is that Stokes will move first. Unfortunately, I hear that he will step down and possibly retire.”“I think that would be very unfortunate and I hope he doesn’t do that. I hope he stands up and fights for his position, and he is the Ben Stokes we know.”Stokes is currently the England captain and has been a key figure in the team’s red-ball preparation. Although he now only plays Test cricket, the retirement will bring an end to a career at the top level that spanned 15 years.
Some media reports in the past few weeks have also suggested that Stokes has drifted away from England coach Brendon McCullum since the Ashes and the latest controversy could be seen as a point to move on from the role.Another possibility, according to a Cricinfo report, is that Stokes might take a break from cricket. He previously took an indefinite leave from the game in 2021 for mental health reasons before succeeding Joe Root as England captain a year later.The ECB confirmed on Monday that Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident while celebrating England’s victory over New Zealand.The ECB statement said: “Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when the incident occurred.”“We are currently seeking further information and the squad for the second Test will be announced in due course.”England are expected to postpone naming their squad for the second Test against New Zealand until they hear from Stokes. She also claimed that Stokes and Atkinson are not expected to appear in the rest of the series.The controversy comes months after a curfew was re-imposed on teams in England following the Ashes tour of Australia, during which players faced criticism over issues related to drinking and discipline.England defeated New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s on Sunday. Atkinson took 5/30 on the final day, while Stokes also took a wicket.The second Test against New Zealand begins on June 17 at The Oval.