Ben Stokes likely to quit England captaincy, ‘retire’ from Test cricket amid nightclub controversy

England Test captain Ben Stokes could step down from the role and may even retire from cricket following a nightclub controversy involving him and team-mate Gus Atkinson, according to a talkSPORT report.The development comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation into the Stokes and Atkinson nightclub incident in the early hours of Monday, hours after England’s win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.Speaking to talkSPORT, The Cricketer’s chief correspondent, George Dobell, said he had been told Stokes could choose to leave on his own rather than wait for disciplinary action.“My fear from everything I’m hearing is that Stokes will be the first to act. And unfortunately I’ve heard that he’s going to step down and possibly leave.”“I think that would be very unfortunate and I hope he doesn’t. I hope he stands and fights in his place, which is the Ben Stokes we know.”Stokes is currently England’s Test captain and has been a key figure in the red-ball team. Although he now only plays Test cricket, retirement would mark the end of a top-level career that spanned 15 years.Some media reports in recent weeks have also suggested that Stokes has distanced himself from England head coach Brendon McCullum since the Ashes and may see the latest controversy as a point to transition from the role.Another possibility, according to a Cricinfo report, is that Stokes could take a break from cricket. He previously took an indefinite break from the game in 2021 due to mental health reasons, before replacing Joe Root as England captain a year later.The ECB confirmed on Monday that Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident celebrating England’s victory over New Zealand.“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at the nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when the incident occurred,” the ECB said in a statement.“We are currently seeking further information and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.”England are expected to hold off on naming their squad for the second Test against New Zealand until Stokes is heard from. He also claimed that neither Stokes nor Atkinson were expected to feature for the rest of the series.The controversy comes months after England re-imposed a team curfew following the Ashes tour of Australia, during which players faced criticism over drinking and discipline-related issues.England beat New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s on Sunday. Atkinson took 5/30 on the final day while Stokes took a wicket.The second Test against New Zealand begins on June 17 at The Oval.