Former England captain David Gower fears Ben Stokes’ reign as Test skipper may already be in “the past tense” following his involvement in a nightclub incident involving a Saracens rugby player.
The England and Wales Cricket Board, the independent Cricket Regulator and the Gallagher Prem club are investigating events which took place in the early hours of Monday morning at a London nightspot.
Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson breached team protocols by ignoring a recently-imposed midnight curfew as they celebrated Sunday’s first Test victory over New Zealand, and were later involved in what became a physical confrontation with the rugby player.
A security guard who was with the England pair, but who is understood not to be a member of ECB staff, was reportedly injured in the incident.
The squad announcement for next week’s second Test at the Kia Oval has been delayed as a result of the episode, but Stokes and Atkinson are expected to be omitted.
Senior figures at the ECB will be furious that there are once again question marks over the team’s professionalism and drinking habits – factors which became all too familiar during a messy winter and led to a review of dressing-room culture.
There is uncertainty now over whether Stokes can continue in the office of captain and one of his predecessors, Gower, agrees the situation is that serious.
“He’s in severe doubt. One of the responsibilities as a captain is to set the right tone; if you’re leading, you have to set the right example,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
