No 'rash decision' over Stokes' future, says 'angry' Key

ECB managing director Rob Key says he felt dumbstruck, angry and frustrated after learning Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke team curfew rules, but is refusing to make a "rash decision" on the Test captain's future.

On Wednesday, the ECB announced that Stokes and Atkinson had "not been made available for selection" for England's second Test against New Zealand at The Kia Oval, beginning on next week, after the pair were involved in an altercation at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning, after the team's midnight curfew.

Key denied the England men's cricket side was a "national embarrassment", adding he was considering the idea of imposing a complete alcohol ban on the team.

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Speaking for the first time since the incident, Key also said:

Stokes is "fine" but remorseful, and has not made a decision on continuing as captain

Atkinson, who has apologised to head coach Brendon McCullum, says he did not know there was a curfew

Next steps including a total alcohol ban are being considered

England players were not aggressive in the incident

Taking the captaincy was too much of a burden for Harry Brook

Reports emerged in recent days that Stokes was considering his future as captain, with Key insisting that a decision to relieve the 35-year-old had "not crossed his mind" with the incident still "very raw".

Stokes and Atkinson were at the Rex Rooms in West London when a Saracens rugby player threw a punch at Atkinson, but hit a security guard who was supervising the players.

"We have got to let the process play through," Key said, when asked by Sky Sports if Stokes has a future as captain. "That's why it is in place, because I don't think any of us, whether that's Ben, Gus, myself, the ECB, no one wants to make a rash decision.

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Stokes considering future after incident

"I've gone through a range of emotions, I think, from being absolutely dumbstruck to anger, which I'm still not sure I'm over all of that stuff at the minute, and Ben, I think, has been through the same range of emotions.

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"We're speaking most days, so at the moment we're just going to let that process play out. Hopefully, that will be pretty straightforward, and then we can see where we go from there. "

He explained Stokes was doing "fine", but was remorseful, and that he and Atkinson were "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

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"Everything we've looked at so far and everything we've found out, it looks like they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They weren't aggressive or anything.

"Actually, they were on the receiving end of what looks like some pretty poor behaviour from other people. But the rest of it I'm not going to speculate on."