England coach McCullum ‘concerned’ about Ben Stokes’ wellbeing after nightclub episode

England head coach Brendon McCullum sounded 'worried' about his Test mainstay and former captain, Ben Stokes, who missed out on selection for the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval. Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson were involved in a nightclub incident following England’s win in the Lord’s Test, with the ECB launching a probe into the matter. The two breached the midnight curfew, thus facing temporary suspensions by the board.

Even though several reports of Stokes contemplating quitting Test captaincy and international cricket altogether in the aftermath of the late-night incident, also involving Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa, made headlines, his future remains in limbo as England named the final XII for the second Test.

Speaking to the media on Monday (Jun 15), McCullum revealed he experienced a range of emotions, from anger to concern, learning about Stokes’ episode in Chelsea.

"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," he told reporters on Monday. "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."

Meanwhile, McCullum refused to say whether he believes Stokes should remain as captain, after England were also criticised for their off-field behaviour during the tour to New Zealand and Australia.

"What will be will be, down the line. Those decisions are not for now. The concern is making sure Ben is fine," he said. "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."

Stokes has trained with his English county, Durham, over recent days and could play against Northamptonshire on Friday (Jun 19). But McCullum took a deep breath before answering when quizzed on the wisdom of Stokes returning to action.

"I'm worried about Ben. That's it," he said. "I'll leave it at that."

(With inputs from AFP)