KARACHI: The Independent Cricket Council has decided not to take any action against England Test captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson in connection with the nightclub incident as there was insufficient evidence against the duo.
The verdict came the next day, and Stokes and Atkinson were recalled to the England squad for the third and final Test of the home series against New Zealand in Nottingham from 25 to 29 June.
While announcing the Three Lions squad, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cleared Stokes and Atkinson of an altercation with Saracens rugby player Toto Auwa following the 115-run series opener against New Zealand earlier this month.
“No blame should be placed on players for violent behavior in nightclubs,” the ECB said in a statement on Sunday.
“Stokes was not involved in the altercation and did not witness any of the incidents.
“Evidence seen by the ECB demonstrates that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion.”
Additionally, the regulator, which does not include group ethics in its remittances, echoed the ECB’s findings that after a “careful” review of the available information, it determined there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate any regulatory breach had occurred and, thus, no action would be taken against Stokes and Atkinson.
“The role of the Controller of Cricket is to determine whether a participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations. The investigation followed a multi-disciplinary inquiry to gather and assess evidence relating to the events in question,” the regulator said in a statement.
“After careful review of all currently available information, the Controller of Cricket has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish that any breach of regulation has occurred. Accordingly, no action will be taken against any player.
The Controller of Cricket would like to thank everyone for their co-operation throughout the investigation.
Stokes and Atkinson have replaced Sonny Baker and James Reve in England’s squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand.
Apart from two changes, the rest of England’s side remained the same, which suffered a heavy 253-run defeat in the recently concluded second Test, which helped New Zealand level the series 1-1.
England Squad for Third New Zealand Test:
Ben Stokes (catch), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethel, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Kay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith and Josh Dungu.