The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and England Test captain Ben Stokes stand at a crossroads in the midst of a storm that has rocked England cricket. This came after the ECB announced an investigation into Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson for breaking the England team’s curfew.

Following England's triumph over New Zealand in the first Test, Stokes and Atkinson allegedly broke the team's recently implemented curfew by going to a nightclub early on Monday morning. According to reports, the two got into a fight, which prompted an ECB investigation and raised questions over their availability for the second Test at The Oval.

But according to a Tuesday ESPNcricinfo story, the ECB has given Stokes the chance to continue his international career while resigning as Test captain on his own terms.

According to the article, the ECB is ready to remove Stokes from the captaincy for violating team rules if he decides not to step down.

In any case, it seems harder and harder to defend Stokes' viewpoint. The team's highly criticized excursion to Noosa rekindled concerns about dressing-room culture and professionalism in the wake of England's poor Ashes campaign. The ECB officially promised to change the team's culture, implement harsher disciplinary procedures, and tighten standards in response.

However, Ben Stokes could also retire from cricket, being a Test regular in recent times. The article claims that after the nightclub incident, the all-rounder is considering his future amid escalating tension between himself and the governing body.

But Stokes has a third choice. According to the source, he might decide to take a vacation from cricket, just like he did in 2021, to concentrate on his mental health.

Whatever the outcome happens, both Stokes and Atkinson are reportedly set to miss the remainder of the New Zealand series as investigations continue.

(ESPNCricinfo inputs)