Publicly, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has admitted the breach of protocols. In mentioning the “early hours of Monday morning” in a statement, the governing body left Stokes and Atkinson bang to rights.
It is what happened next that may decide Stokes’ future as captain, and possibly as an international cricketer.
We know there was an interaction with 21-year-old Saracens forward Totoa Auvaa. England cricketers and Saracens players often move in the same circles, and some of the Sarries squad had been present at Lord’s.
How the incident unfolded is unclear, but the outcome was a member of the England security team was left bloodied and in need of medical attention. He had not been drinking.
If Stokes and Atkinson were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, it will be up to the ECB to decide how big a crime that is.
Given the context of the winter and Stokes’ position of authority, there will be plenty who believe simply putting himself in that situation is enough for a change of captain.
Stokes has history here – lots of it, starting with being sent home from an England Lions tour in 2013 for too much boozing.
The incident outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017 almost cost him his England career. Charged and eventually cleared of affray, he explained he was acting to defend to members of the public. He later revealed the ordeal had a long-lasting effect on his mental health.
In the early part of last year Stokes said he gave up alcohol to aid his recovery from a hamstring injury and invested in a non-alcoholic drinks brand.
On Sunday, straight after the win against New Zealand, he was eager to get on the sauce.
“I won’t be really happy until I get to share a beer with the boys,” he said in the post-match news conference.
Perhaps Stokes is a microcosm of cricket’s complex relationship with alcohol, right down to a recreational game that is built on the culture of pints in the clubhouse.
Andrew Flintoff’s drinking session after England won the 2005 Ashes is part of this country’s sporting folklore. Australia coach Andrew McDonald suggested Travis Head had as much fun off the field as he did on it during the past Ashes in Australia.
International cricketers are often young men, away from home for months on end. The mental toll touring life can take is well documented.
Then again, there are plenty of ways to escape cricket without visiting the pub. There are countless cricketers who do not drink at all, and many more professional athletes from other sports who never touch a drop.
From a high-performance point of view, is a late-night drinking session the correct way to be in the best shape for the second Test at The Oval next week?
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon recently revealed his belief that drinking after winning the World Test Championship in 2023 contributed to his calf injury in the second Ashes Test three weeks later.
