Brendon McCullum, the head coach of England, stated that he is “worried” about Ben Stokes following the captain’s late-night incident, which prevented him from playing in this week’s second Test match against New Zealand.
After breaking a midnight curfew to celebrate England’s victory over the Black Caps in the first Test at Lord’s, Stokes will miss the match at The Oval.
The England and Wales Cricket Board launched an internal investigation after the all-rounder and his England teammate Gus Atkinson were involved in an altercation involving Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa.
In the immediate aftermath, there were rumors that Stokes would step down or even retire. However, before the second Test begins on Wednesday, the 35-year-old’s future is still unknown.
Speaking on Monday, a somber McCullum claimed that when he heard of Stokes’ antics in a Chelsea nightclub, he felt a range of emotions, from worry to rage. However, McCullum maintained that his duty of care for Stokes’ welfare takes precedence over disciplinary issues or the sustainability of his captaincy.
“When I first found out about it I was slightly bewildered, if I’m being honest. Then you go through a range of emotions. You go from being bewildered, on to angry, on to kind of gutted. But very quickly my overall emotion turned to worry and concern for Ben in particular.
“Since then it has been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact they have not lived up to the standards we have set for ourselves. For me it’s very much about how we support these guys through the next stage, in particular Ben. That is very much where my mind is at, my worry for him,” AFP quoted McCullum telling reporters on Monday.
Following criticism of England’s off-field conduct during the tour to Australia and New Zealand, McCullum declined to comment on whether he thinks Stokes should continue as captain.
“What will be will be, down the line. Those decisions are not for now. The concern is making sure Ben is fine. We need to make sure we look after him, rally around him, and in time we’ll get on to those sorts of decisions. For me I’m just making sure I’m checking in with him. That’s where things sit at the moment,” he said.
Stokes may play on Friday against Northamptonshire after training with his English county, Durham, in recent days. When asked if it was wise for Stokes to return to action, McCullum inhaled deeply before responding.
“I’m worried about Ben. That’s it,” he said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
For the first time since the incident, England is back in training, and McCullum claimed he was inspired by the atmosphere among the players.
“I was intrigued to see how the team was and I was quite happy to be honest. There was a calm. Guys were still talking about last week, they touched on what had happened after,” he said.
