McCullum Worried About Stokes After Curfew Breach Incident

England coach McCullum expresses "worry," "concern" for Stokes after curfew breach incident

London, June 15

Stokes and Gus Atkinson were dropped from the side for breaching the team's midnight curfew following England's win in the first Test at Lord's.

Following the Lord's victory, Stokes and Atkinson were reportedly involved in an incident in which the team's security liaison officer was hit by a Saracens rugby player and needed medical treatment, the report said. Both players were excluded from selection for the second Test while investigations are carried out by the ECB and the Cricket Regulator.

Ahead of the second Test, which is scheduled to get underway on Wednesday, McCullum said he was gutted to learn about the incident involving Stokes and Atkinson, adding that his initial reaction shifted to "worry" and "concern" for Stokes in particular. He stressed the importance of supporting both players while also acknowledging they had fallen short of the team's expected standards.

"To hear about this was incredibly gutting. When you're in roles like this you have to start trying to separate the action from the man. Very quickly, though, talking to Ben in particular, and also Gus, 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," McCullum said, according to ESPNcricinfo.

"You can't walk past that, and we'll deal with that in time and through a process. 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," McCullum added.

McCullum praised Stokes for his leadership over the past four years, saying he has been an outstanding captain who has helped shape the team's culture and achieve great success. He added that while future decisions regarding Stokes' captaincy will be made later, they are not the immediate focus.

"I look at the time, the last four years I've worked intimately with Ben. I've seen Ben be an unbelievable captain. I've seen him at his absolute best as a captain, his best as a player," he said.

"He's helped shape this environment over the last four years. He's had some incredible success doing it and I feel very lucky that during that time we have worked so closely together. What will be will be down the line. Those decisions are not for now," McCullum added.

McCullum reiterated the priority is ensuring Stokes is okay, adding that the team needs to support and look after him. He said decisions about the situation will come later, and for now, he is focused on regularly checking in with Stokes.

"The concern is making sure Ben is fine. 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," he said.

Coming to the ongoing New Zealand vs England three-match Test series, the Three Lions won the opening fixture and will look to seal the series in the second match.

— ANI