England's cricketers could face a complete ban on alcohol while on international duty as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) considers its response to the nightclub incident that led to Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson being dropped from next week's second Test against New Zealand. The incident has also triggered a series of embarrassing stories over the past eight months.
Rob Key admits trust issues
Rob Key, the ECB's managing director of men's cricket, acknowledged on Thursday that it is now difficult to assert that players can be trusted to behave responsibly. The two players broke a midnight curfew and were allegedly involved in a fight that broke out in the early hours of Monday morning, though neither is believed to have been an active participant. "Everything we've looked at so far, everything we've found out, it looks like they were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Key said. "They weren't aggressive or anything, and actually it looks like they were on the receiving end of some pretty poor behaviour from other people."
Stokes out of second Test
Stokes has been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand, with Joe Root named as interim captain. The curfew was imposed after the Ashes and runs throughout this Test series, part of new player protocols that the ECB insists were communicated orally to players multiple times and more formally to the Team England Player Partnership, which is operated by the Professional Cricketers' Association. Atkinson claims he was unaware of the curfew, but Stokes was deeply involved in the decision to impose one. Key said that upon learning about the incident on Monday morning, "The overriding [reaction] was shock that it was Ben involved in this."
Stokes' future uncertain
Stokes' future as both captain and player remains uncertain. When asked on Thursday about the 35-year-old's ability to return to the side, Key said: "I don't see why not." However, he was less forthcoming about the captaincy. "We've got to run the investigation, find out what happened exactly," he said. "I think the decision is about what's best for the team and what's best for Ben as well. It's not just about what happened on Sunday night, it's about the best thing moving forward. We need time, because that's a big decision." Stokes has been given time to consider his future, and the ECB has not sought to influence his decision.
Alcohol ban under consideration
During the Ashes, Key denied that the England team had an unhealthy drinking culture, but that messaging has now changed. "Do we need to look at actually have the [regulations] been strict enough? Even when they win a game of cricket, is it now a time when there's just no alcohol at any time and at any stage?" he said. "I need to think through these things because I don't want to make a rash decision that actually hinders the team, and creates a situation where they don't feel they can do anything. But the players now have to show the public that they can be trusted. At this point it's hard to say they can."
Key added: "We have spent a lot of time over the past few months trying to make sure we're going to regain the trust [of the public]. I'm not sure we've done that. In fact, I know we haven't done that with what's happened here. All the things we have been working on, every single thing, whether it's within the dressing-room, within that side, all the work we've tried to do to reconnect the game – it feels like we've just been smashed in the face with that. When you look at what has happened it's hard to defend anything that's going on at the moment. I believe that we are on the right path, and that is really hard for me to be able to prove. We will be judged by our actions going forward."
Joe Root steps in as captain
The decision to appoint Joe Root as interim captain in Stokes' absence, rather than promoting vice-captain Harry Brook, was taken for various reasons. Brook's own nightclub incident, in which he was punched by a bouncer on the night before an ODI last November, was "not the main one, that's for sure," Key said. He reported that Brook "has no issue whatsoever" with the decision. "There's lots of different factors why we went for Joe Root," Key said, "but ultimately, when English cricket's in a hole, Joe Root's the man that we ask to dig us out of it."
Key insisted this controversy should not detract from a period in which "Ben has been outstanding" as a captain, while Brendon McCullum has "been outstanding in the way he's led this side as a coach." "I think that they are [one] of the most successful coach and captain partnerships we've had," Key said. "This is one of the more successful England teams and that's what I like to reflect on. And it's not anywhere near the end of it. This team, with the bowling attack that looks like it's in play in the next few years, can be one of the best we've had."
