According to a report by TalkSport, England Test captain Ben Stokes may step down from the role and may even retire from cricket after a nightclub row involving him and teammate Gus Atkinson.The development comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation into the Stokes and Atkinson incident at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday, hours after England’s 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.Speaking on talkSPORT, the cricketer’s senior representative, George Dobell, said he had been told Stokes could opt to quit rather than await disciplinary action.“I’m afraid from everything I’ve heard that Stokes is going to work first. And sadly, I’ve heard that he’s going to step down and possibly retire.”“I think it would be very sad and I hope he doesn’t. I hope he stands and fights his ground, which is the Ben Stokes we know.”Stokes is currently England’s Test captain and has been a key figure in the team’s red ball setup. Although he now only plays Test cricket, the retirement will bring to an end a career at the highest level spanning 15 years.Some media reports in the past few weeks have also suggested that Stokes has fallen out with England head coach Brendon McCullum since the Ashes and could see the latest controversy as a point to move on from the role.Another possibility is that Stokes may take a break from cricket, reports Cricinfo. He previously took an indefinite leave of absence from the game on mental health grounds in 2021 before succeeding Joe Root as England captain a year later.The ECB confirmed on Monday that Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident while celebrating England’s win over New Zealand.An ECB statement said Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when the incident occurred.“We are currently getting more information, and the squad for the second Test will be announced in due course.”England are expected to delay naming a squad for the second Test against New Zealand until they hear from Stokes. He also claimed that neither Stokes nor Atkinson is expected to feature for the remainder of the series.The controversy comes months after England re-introduced a team curfew after the Ashes tour of Australia, during which players were criticized for drinking and disciplinary issues.England beat New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s on Sunday. Atkinson took 5/30 on the final day, while Stokes also claimed a wicket.The second Test against New Zealand will start from June 17 at The Oval.
