England head coach Brendon McCullum said that his initial thought at Ben Stokes breaching team protocols has given way to “worry and concern” after the nightclub incident that has left Stokes’ test future in the balance as well.
“It’s been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact that they’ve not lived up to the standards which we’ve set for ourselves,” McCullum said. “You can’t look past that, per se. “But at the same time, we’ll deal with that in time and through a process. But for me, it’s very much about how we support these guys through the next stage, and in particular, Ben. And that’s very much where my mind is at — I worry for him.”
“What will be will be, down the line. Those decisions, they’re not for now,” McCullum again said. “The concern at the moment is making sure that Ben is fine, and we need to look after him, rally around him, and in time, get onto those sorts of decisions.”
Meanwhile, Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, last week also said that the ECB was considering imposing an alcohol ban on the England team as well.
“I’m in charge of the environment and I take responsibility for things which don’t work out — what you can’t do is you can’t make every single decision for people as well,” he concluded. “My job is to try and shape this environment, try and shape these young men who are dealing with the high pressure and high scrutiny of playing international cricket on the larger stage, and being away from home 12 months of a year, and the challenges have come with that. I do believe there is a place to never want to kill the joy, so to speak. I think it’s vitally important that you celebrate your successes.”
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