London [UK], June 10: Ben Stokes is understood to be considering his future as both England captain and an international cricketer - but there have been no announcements as yet. The ECB has also kept its counsel while investigations continue, with any changes to the squad for the second Test still to be communicated, espncricinfo reports.
'What we do know, as revealed this morning, was that a member of the ECB's security team was left needing stitches after the fracas in the Rex Rooms nightclub, and that the incident has heaped unwelcome attention on the England Men's team and their attempts to reset after the controversies around player behaviour on winter tours to Australia and New Zealand', the website said.
BBC.com/sport adds
Test captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson spent the early hours of Monday morning involved in an incident with a Saracens academy player in a London nightclub.
It is getting harder and harder for all connected with the England team - director of cricket Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum and certainly Stokes himself - to deny there is a drinking culture. At least not with a straight face.
It is Stokes' involvement in the latest episode that makes it all the more staggering, serious and downright stupid.
He managed to stay away from trouble in Australia, although he admitted that tour was his toughest time in the role.
On his return to international cricket, in his first experience of the curfew that was put in place after the Ashes boozing, Stokes has been unable to stick to the rules. As a leader, he has not been able to set an example.
There will be a debate about whether a group of professional athletes should be placed under a curfew. And, even if they are, whether or not it should be relaxed in the aftermath of an important Test win.
Still, the curfew exists. Stokes, a 35-year-old man, found himself in trouble when he should have been in bed.
Publicly, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has admitted the breach of protocols. In mentioning the "early hours of Monday morning" in a statement, the governing body left Stokes and Atkinson bang to rights.
It is what happened next that may decide Stokes' future as captain, and possibly as an international cricketer.
Source: Qatar Tribune
