When Rob Key paired Ben Stokes with Brendon McCullum four years ago and urged supporters to “strap yourself in and enjoy the ride”, he could not have envisaged it ending with such an almighty crash.It really did feel like the end, at least for Stokes, at the Oval on Thursday as Key, the managing director of England men’s cricket, was forced to explain how on earth his captain had managed to break rules he had done so much to put in place himself in the wake of another metaphorical car crash in Australia.Anyone expecting an easy ride for Stokes and Gus Atkinson, the other player embroiled in the latest alcohol-related crisis to hit English cricket after breaking the midnight curfew in the aftermath of victory in the first Test against New Zealand, were disappointed.There was little sympathy from Key. Just disbelief and incredulity that England should find themselves again facing accusations of a drinking culture and a far too loose and undisciplined team environment after their first Test since the shambles of the Ashes.Key used words like “anger”, “frustration” and “disappointment” in 16 highly-charged minutes with the written press following broadcast interviews with broadcast rights holders and the ECB’s own in-house media channel.He also talked of a “sinking feeling” when he was called by McCullum on Monday and told “get ready for this” before the coach broke the news that guaranteed any strides taken forward by an embattled England regime with that win at Lord’s were ruined. The England reset, Bazball 3.0, had been sent hurtling back to square one.The managing director was repeatedly given the opportunity to back Stokes or give assurances about his future as England captain and repeatedly failed to do so. Once Key was asked: “Are you saying you won’t sack him?”He replied: “I’m not saying that.”Rob Key (right) has turned to former captain Joe Root to take over the team on an interim basis (Ben Whitley/PA Images via Getty Images)Most damningly, Key suggested the players involved had shown “they cannot be trusted” by being in a Chelsea nightclub in the early hours of Monday and talked of banning alcohol altogether when England are on national duty, even after a victory with the next game 10 days away.“Can Ben captain England again? I think we’ve just got to let that play out,” said Key after naming a squad without both Stokes and Atkinson for next week’s second Test back at the Oval while investigations by both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the independent Cricket Regulator continue into the incident in the small hours of Monday morning.“The decision will be about what’s best for the team and what’s best for Ben moving forward. It’s not just about what happened on Sunday night. That’s where we need time because that’s a big decision.