London, June 11 -- English cricket has plunged into fresh controversy just a week into the international summer after Test captain Ben Stokes was dropped for breaching a team curfew, triggering renewed scrutiny over discipline and leadership within the national side.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday omitted Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson from the squad for the second Test against New Zealand after both were found to have violated team protocols by remaining out beyond a midnight curfew following England's victory in the series opener at Lord's.
The incident comes months after England's disappointing 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, where concerns over player behaviour and an alleged drinking culture overshadowed p...