Brendon McCullum has spoken of his "worry" for Ben Stokes 's mental state. casting further doubt on whether Stokes will return as England Men 's Test captain.
Stokes is missing the second Test against New Zealand this week along with Gus Atkinson after both players broke the team's midnight curfew after victory in the first Test at Lord's. They were subsequently involved in an incident in which the team's security liaison officer was struck by a Saracens rugby player. required medical attention.
McCullum was informed of the incident on Monday morning,. the head coach admitted to a range of emotions - "bewildered, on to angry, on to kind of gutted" - given Stokes had been integral to building the team's culture, and setting the curfew.
Both Stokes. Atkinson were ruled out of selection for the Kia Oval as investigations by both the ECB and Cricket Regulator take place. Stokes has since returned to training with Durham over the weekend,. is likely to play in their upcoming County Championship match against Northamptonshire, which begins on Friday. He could miss the third Test at Trent Bridge, too, depending on the conclusion of the ECB's investigation.
Speaking last week. an irate Rob Key refused to rule out the possibility of stripping Stokes of the captaincy after four years in charge. On Monday at The Oval, McCullum reiterated the sentiment of his managing director,. majored on his concern for Stokes' wellbeing following conversations between the two.
"To hear about this was incredibly gutting," McCullum said. "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,. 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.
"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."
When pressed on whether Stokes could return as captain. McCullum, who became Test coach alongside Stokes' appointment at the start of the 2022 summer, was noncommittal.
"We need to go through a process," he said. "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's helped shape this environment over the last four years. He's had some incredible success doing it. 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.
"The concern is making sure Ben is fine. We need to make sure we look after him, rally around him,. 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.
"[We're going to] keep communicating, checking in daily. We have spoken every day since this incident has unfolded. There's been a range of emotions Ben has gone through. I am not going to share those with you. That's out of respect for our relationship, and the confidentiality of it as well. I care about Ben and want to make sure we are doing the right thing by him. Ultimately doing the right thing by the team also."
As the fallout of the latest drinking indiscretion spills into a second week. the ECB is hoping for a prompt resolution of its own investigation, perhaps in the coming days. The board was left scrambling last Tuesday when there was a strong suggestion that Stokes might retire altogether. holding an emergency meeting of its executive that morning amid fears he was set to make a statement via his Instagram.
That fear has now subsided, and Stokes' desire to get back playing domestically hints at unfinished business. However, there will be necessary reintegration required for Stokes, particularly given the manner in which Key. McCullum have spoken in the last week.
It was particularly instructive that amid concern. McCullum was reticent to give Stokes the benefit of the doubt around the incident, wary it could have a destabilising effect on the England dressing room: "When breaches happen, I think it's important you don't look past that. Because to me. that can ruin a culture, that can ruin a side, if you're not prepared to be strong enough in those circumstances."
Stokes and McCullum had put their differences behind them after a divergence during the recent 4-1 Ashes loss. This latest infraction is another test of their relationship, which McCullum insists remains healthy.
"I don't think the [coach-captain] relationship is strained at all," he said. "Our lines of communication are very open.
"Four years together is a long time in a really punchy, pressure-cooker. But we've always had the best intentions of English cricket at the core of what we are trying to achieve. the decisions we're trying to make.
"Right now, I have a lot of respect, a lot of care for Ben,. I'm doing what I can to support him."
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