According to The Daily Mail, England captain Ben Stokes is evaluating his future in International Cricket after a nightclub incident involving him, teammate Gus Atkinson, and Saracens Rugby player Totoa Auvaa.
This incident occurred shortly after England’s 115-run win against New Zealand at Lord’s, when Stokes and Atkinson violated team curfew early Monday morning and got into a scuffle with Auvaa at a nightclub in Chelsea. Fortunately, both players were unharmed, though reports indicate that Auvaa’s punch hit an ECB security staff member.
Stokes is currently at his home in northeast England, considering his options ahead of the second Test against New Zealand on Wednesday, June 17.
“I don’t know if even he knows yet what he wants to do,” a source told The Daily Mail Sport.
Without any retirement announcement, it is likely that Stokes will miss the rest of the Test series against New Zealand and may face a two-match ban from the ECB. Meanwhile, Atkinson might receive a one-match suspension according to the source.
If Stokes is unavailable for the upcoming matches, the responsibility of captaincy would shift to Harry Brook, who leads England in white-ball formats. Brook has begun his leadership role positively, taking the team to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he himself faced controversy last year in New Zealand, leading to a GBP 30,000 fine after a confrontation with a bouncer.
Additionally, Stokes’ position in the lineup was already in question due to his recent performances. He scored only 12 and 0 in the two innings at Lord’s and took just one wicket.