England head coach Brendon McCullum has expressed concern for captain Ben Stokes after the all-rounder was involved in a controversy that resulted in his omission from the second Test against New Zealand, starting on June 17 at The Oval. Stokes was left out of England's squad for the second match after he breached a team-imposed midnight curfew following the opening Test victory at Lord's.
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson was also dropped after being involved in the same incident. The matter prompted an internal review by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), putting both players under intense scrutiny.
"When I first found out about it, I was slightly bewildered, if I'm being honest. Then you go through a range of emotions. You go from being bewildered on to angry, on to gutted. From the progress which we talked about and discussed over the last six months and what we're trying to do with the side and some of the improvements we're trying to make, which includes the standards that we want to see for ourselves," McCullum said at the press conference.
This was for the first time that McCullum publicly spoke about the matter. McCullum, focusing on disciplinary aspects, also expressed his concern for Stokes as an individual, underscoring the emotional and mental toll that can accompany such high-profile incidents.
"To hear about this was incredibly gutting, I guess. But then I guess when you're in roles like this, you got to start trying to separate from the action and the man very quickly through talking to Ben and also Gus. My overall emotion turned to worry and concern for Ben in particular. Since then it has been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact they have not lived up to the standards we have set for ourselves," he said.
"For me it's very much about how we support these guys through the next stage, in particular Ben. That is very much where my mind is at, my worry for him," McCullum said.