2 hours ago Stokes and Atkinson are the taxable of an probe by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and person been made unavailable for astatine slightest the 2nd Test, which begins connected 17 June, pending the results of the inquiry.
In a connection released connected Monday, the ECB revealed the brace had breached the curfew. It aboriginal emerged that 35-year-old Stokes and Atkinson, 28, were contiguous erstwhile a subordinate of the England information unit was struck by Saracens rugby subordinate Totoa Auvaa. The subordinate of information was near bloodied and required aesculapian attention.
Asked by BBC Sport if helium felt Stokes could resign the captaincy and discontinue from playing, Key said: "He has not intimated that to me."
On whether Stokes volition play for England again, Key responded: "I don't spot wherefore not."
But connected if Stokes volition resume the captaincy, a presumption helium has held since 2022, Key offered nary guarantees.
"There are a batch of things to hap earlier then," said Key. "We've got to tally the investigation, find retired what happened exactly. We're successful the midst of that astatine the moment. No decisions volition beryllium made until aft that."
Pressed connected the subject, Key replied: "We conscionable person to fto this play out. No decisions person been made connected our side.
"We've not fixed him an ultimatum, we're conscionable speaking to him each the clip to marque definite that helium is alright. It's evidently been a traumatic clip for him implicit the past fewer days. When things are similar that you don't privation to marque immoderate decisions. Time is our state successful this."
Harry Brook is Stokes' vice-captain successful the Test team, yet the captaincy has been passed to Joe Root for the 2nd Test opening connected Wednesday.
Brook, 27, was progressive successful a nightclub contention of his ain erstwhile helium was punched by a bouncer successful Wellington successful October, the nighttime earlier starring England successful a one-day planetary against New Zealand.
And though Key said determination were "many reasons" wherefore Brook had not been chosen to skipper successful the 2nd Test, the erstwhile Kent batter admitted it would person been "pretty hard" to marque Brook skipper considering what happened successful Wellington.
"That would beryllium 1 of them," said Key, erstwhile asked if Wellington was a crushed for Brook not to beryllium elevated to Test captain. "That's not the main reason, that's for sure.
"I conscionable don't consciousness it is the close time. That's a determination we came to. The Test captaincy is simply a monolithic job, adjacent successful an interim basis, particularly going into this adjacent Test lucifer and everything Harry would person to woody with."
The scrutiny of England's off-field activities during the wintertime was compounded by immoderate dreadful performances connected the tract successful a 4-1 Ashes bid defeat.
The ECB conducted a reappraisal into the circuit of Australia, and opted to support Key, Stokes and caput manager Brendon McCullum successful their posts.
English (US)·