Brendon McCullum has expressed his deep concern for the well-being of England captain Ben Stokes, repeatedly saying “I am worried about him” during another extraordinary media conference ahead of the second Test at the Oval.The England coach was talking for the first time about the late-night incident after the first Test victory against New Zealand that led to Stokes breaking the team’s curfew and becoming the first England captain in history to be left out of a Test for disciplinary reasons.Stokes, along with bowler Gus Atkinson, who was with his captain at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea in the early hours of Monday morning, have been omitted from an England team that shows four changes to the winning side at Lord’s while twin England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Regulator investigations continue. Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox will make their Test debuts on Wednesday.But all focus remains on Stokes and what the coach, who has been at his side through the initially thick but then increasingly thin days of ‘Bazball’ over the last four years, said about him.“When I first found out about this I was slightly bewildered if I’m honest,” said McCullum of learning of the post-match incident which involved the Saracens academy player Totoa Auvaa and left ECB security guard James Shaw needing stitches. “Then you go through a range of emotions, on to angry then kind of gutted. Then you have to separate the action from the man.
Brendon McCullum on England captain Stokes: ‘I am worried about Ben’
The England coach revealed he is in daily contact with the captain, with interim Joe Root to lead a side showing at least four changes











