Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson involved in nightclub ‘incident’ as ECB release statement

The ECB have released a statement confirming they are investigating an ‘incident’ involving Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes.

The England captain and fast bowler were in a nightclub on Monday morning, following the win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.

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In a statement from the ECB, they said: “The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand.

“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.

“We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

“The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”

Reacting to the news immediately on Drive, talkSPORT’s Cricket Editor Jon Norman said: “It has been a painful six months, and Ben Stokes has cut a frustrated figure, even in the aftermath of a more than welcome victory.

“He has been unhappy at some of the press coverage, and he also been unhappy with some of the behaviour of his teammates during the New Zealand tour that preceded The Ashes, and The Ashes.

“The majority of the cricket press are trying to find out what has occurred, so there is a little bit of guesswork here.

“But the question has been asked of Rob Key whether the curfew was remaining, and he confirmed that it is.

“Does a curfew apply in-between Test matches? If it doesn’t, I can’t imagine this message would have reached us.

“We are trying to find out if the incident is more than just staying out late and breaking team curfew, or have they been present when something has gone down?

“I imagine that will be released to the press at some point.

“We should find out more in the next 48 hours, but it is yet more negative headlines.”

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Not the first

This is the latest incident involving the England Test team under Stokes and Brendon McCullum‘s leadership.

Harry Brook was involved in a nightclub altercation when England toured New Zealand at the back end of 2025.

He kept his white-ball captaincy, but had to issue an apology.

Brook said: “I want to apologise for my actions.

“I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.

“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters.

“I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.

“I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field.

“I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.”

A statement from the ECB said: “We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process.

“The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.”

There were also several reported incidents during the ill-fated Ashes tour.

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Curfew

In response to The Ashes and New Zealand, the ECB managing director Rob Key slapped the players with a curfew.

The curfew came after a mid-tour Ashes break to Noosa was described as a ‘stag-do’.

Speaking about that, Key said: “Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it’s a stag do and stuff like that.

“Stories of players drinking six days solid – that’s unacceptable.

“We’ll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on.”

Punishment

Given there are still a lot of unknowns regarding what happened, it’s unclear what will happen to Atkinson and Stokes.

However, Norman noted that the ECB mention selection for the second Test.

Expanding on this, he said: “The fact they suggest it is serious enough that the captain of the England cricket team may not be selected for the second Test, along with a guy who has just taken five wickets in an innings, suggests this could be seen very dimly, and the punishment could be severe.”