England all-rounder Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson have been cleared of any regulatory wrongdoing over the London nightclub incident that overshadowed England’s Test summer. A day after Stokes was reinstated as captain, the Cricket Regulator announced on Monday that no further action would be taken against either player, citing insufficient evidence of any breach.
Earlier on Sunday, Stokes and Atkinson were recalled to England’s squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge following the conclusion of the disciplinary process.
The pair were initially ruled out of the second Test after an incident at a London nightclub following England’s victory in the series opener at Lord’s. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation into an altercation involving Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa that left a member of England’s security staff bloodied. The Cricket Regulator, whose remit does not extend to team protocol matters, conducted a parallel investigation into the incident.
In a statement, the Cricket Regulator said: “The Cricket Regulator’s role is to determine whether any participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations. The investigation followed multiple lines of enquiry to gather and assess evidence in relation to the events in question. Having carefully reviewed all currently available information, the Cricket Regulator has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred. Accordingly, no further action will be taken against either player.”
The ruling effectively brings an end to the controversy, with both players now free to focus on England’s series decider against New Zealand.
Stokes and Atkinson were both interviewed by the Cricket Regulator, which is headed by director Chris Haward, a former national chief constable lead for serious and organised crime.
They subsequently returned to county cricket, Stokes with Durham and Atkinson with Surrey, before being withdrawn by the ECB ahead of their Test recalls.
They are due to join the squad in Nottingham on Monday before a training session at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.
Stokes is due to hold his captain’s press conference on Wednesday.
The ECB probe into the late-night trip to the Rex Rooms in Chelsea determined that Atkinson had been subject to two “unprovoked attacks” to which he did not retaliate.
Stokes, meanwhile, was found not to be present at the time.
The question of whether or not the pair knew they were in breach of a team curfew continues to linger.
Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, has said the relevant information was shared with the Team England Player Partnership, but head coach Brendon McCullum accepted on Sunday an element of “ambiguity” may have existed.