England head coach Brendon McCullum has expressed serious concern over the wellbeing of captain Ben Stokes following a breach of team protocols ahead of the Second Test against New Zealand, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow at the Oval. Stokes, along with teammate Gus Atkinson, was left out of the squad after breaking the team’s midnight curfew, an incident that reportedly escalated to a confrontation at a Chelsea nightclub. During the altercation, an ECB security officer required stitches after being punched by Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa.

McCullum spoke publicly for the first time since the incident, describing a complex emotional response that evolved from bewilderment to anger and ultimately to concern. “When I first found out about this I was bewildered, then you go through a range of emotions," he said. "From the process we talked about over the last six months and what we’re trying to do, to then hear about this was gutting. I am worried about Ben, I’ll leave it at that."

In the days following the disciplinary breach, Stokes reportedly contemplated resigning as England captain and stepping away from cricket altogether. However, he has since resumed training with Durham and is considering participation in their upcoming County Championship match against Northamptonshire starting Friday.

McCullum acknowledged the partnership and successes shared with Stokes over the past four years but stopped short of confirming whether the 35-year-old will continue as captain. “What will be, will be down the line. Those decisions are not for now,” McCullum said. “The concern is making sure that Ben is fine. We need to make sure we look after him, rally round him, and in time we’ll get on to those sorts of decisions."

He emphasized that the immediate priority remains supporting Stokes’ wellbeing while maintaining standards within the team. “There’s been a range of emotions Ben has gone through and I won’t share those with you but I care about Ben and want to make sure we are doing the right thing by him, but ultimately doing the right thing by the team also.”

With Stokes and Atkinson unavailable for selection due to the ongoing ECB investigation, and fast bowler Ollie Robinson sidelined with knee soreness, England have made four changes to the side for the second Test. The team is preparing to build on their initial victory at Lord’s despite the disruption ahead of the match.