The Cricket Regulator, who were tasked with investigating the nightclub incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, have found no evidence to suggest that the two cricketers breached England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cricket regulations.
Stokes and Atkinson were already recalled to England’s squad after they missed the second New Zealand Test due to the ongoing investigation. The duo featured for their County Championship sides, Durham (Stokes) and Surrey (Atkinson), but were called back mid-match after England lost by 253 runs at The Oval.
No punishment for Ben Stokes or Gus Atkinson
Apart from missing a solitary Test match, no action will be taken against Stokes or Atkinson. During the investigation, it came out that Atkinson, who doesn’t regularly feature for England’s white-ball teams, didn’t even know about the curfew, which doesn’t allow English cricketers to remain out after midnight from the beginning of the series to the end.
Not just Atkinson, but many in the squad weren’t aware that the curfew remains in place between matches. There was a 10-day gap between the Lord’s Test and The Oval Test, and players didn’t know they weren’t allowed to remain outside the team hotel after midnight. Therefore, Stokes or Atkinson won’t even be fined.
“The Cricket Regulator has concluded its investigation into the events of 7–8 June involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson. The Cricket Regulator’s role is to determine whether any participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations. The investigation followed multiple lines of enquiry to gather and assess evidence in relation to the events in question.
Having carefully reviewed all currently available information, the Cricket Regulator has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred. Accordingly, no further action will be taken against either player. The Cricket Regulator would like to thank all those involved for their cooperation throughout the investigation,” the Cricket Regulator said in a statement.
Ben Stokes to return as England Test captain
After England lost on June 21, England head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that Stokes will return as captain for the England vs New Zealand 3rd Test with the series on the line. McCullum hadn’t backed Stokes during the investigation and didn’t state once that he’ll remain the skipper. As he’s bound to return. The former Kiwi skipper stated they’ll address the situation and keep working together.
“Ben will be back, and he’ll be captain. Everyone’s excited about that. I’ve been speaking to Ben every day since the incident. I’m not going to divulge our conversations because they are confidential. But I look forward to seeing him in a few days. There’s mutual respect there. I anticipate we’ll be able to work together really well and I’m sure both of us still have the same vision for this team. Occasionally there are going to be mistakes made, and you can’t walk past when standards have slipped, or mistakes have been made. You address it, and you try to move on,” he told reporters after the match.
England squad for 3rd New Zealand Test
Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox (wk), Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
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