All posts tagged: ECB

Meet the 6 feet 5 inches, 125 kg rugby player involved in Ben Stokes night club clash

Meet the 6 feet 5 inches, 125 kg rugby player involved in Ben Stokes night club clash

Published by Webster

2 min readJun 9, 2026 05:15 PM IST The Saracens rugby player who was involved in a late-night incident with England captain Ben Stokes and pacer Gus Atkinson is believed to a 21-year-old Samoan Totoa Auvaa. Auvaa, who is 6ft 5in and weighs 125kg hasn’t played for Saracens’s first team yet, but according to reports emerging from UK, was part of a party. According to The Times, Auvaa, who part of the academy, is understood to have thrown a punch in the early hours of Monday morning intended for Atkinson, but it ended up hitting a member of ECB’s security staff. According to the report, Stokes and Atkinson were in the VIP section of the nightclub, hours after England won the first Test against New Zealand at the Lord’s. Around the same time, Saracens players were celebrating their end of the season at the nightclub. According to the Times, Saracens players and a group of England cricketers were together in the White Horse pub in Fulham and then visited at least two other pubs in …

Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson being investigated over nighclub incident after England’s 1st Test win

Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson being investigated over nighclub incident after England’s 1st Test win

Published by Webster

1 min readJun 8, 2026 10:53 PM IST England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday that it is investigating captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson over an undisclosed “incident” in a “nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning”. ECB said that it was investigating  “a breach of team protocols” in the hours after England beat New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test at Lord’s. “The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place,” said the board in a statement on Monday “We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course. The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.” More to come… Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text …

Jofra Archer has ‘no interest in playing Test cricket’, ECB blasted for ‘ludicrous’ handling of star fast bowler

Jofra Archer has ‘no interest in playing Test cricket’, ECB blasted for ‘ludicrous’ handling of star fast bowler

Published by Parlour News

One of the key talking points during the IPL, particularly from an English perspective, was the extended spells spent in India by two Test regulars in Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell. While Bethell was questioned over spending his time on the RCB bench instead of participating in the County Championship, Archer faced criticism over his extended participation given his history with injuries and workload concerns. Jofra Archer was with RR for the entirety of the IPL season, causing criticism. (AP Photo) Right on the eve of England’s summer Test series against New Zealand, Archer was put on blast again – as was the England & Wales Cricket Board, who were criticised by Simon Doull for being careless with the handling of Archer in recent months. “It’s ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous. How are you paying this guy up to a million pound a year and he’s not available for your first Test match? It’s absolutely ludicrous,” Doull lambasted the ECB on Sky Sports, following the confirmation that Archer would not participate in the opening Test of the …

Alastair Cook has a go at Kevin Pietersen for asking Jacob Bethell to stay in IPL

Alastair Cook has a go at Kevin Pietersen for asking Jacob Bethell to stay in IPL

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 6, 2026 07:22 PM IST Jacob Bethell finds himself in the middle of a spat between two of England’s greatest batters without actually uttering a word himself. And surprise, surprise! It’s got to do with the IPL. During the first few weeks of the tournament when the young England left-hander constantly sat on the bench for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, former captain Alastair Cook opined that Bethell would be better served by returning home and playing some county cricket to be in the best position to perform well for England when they play Test cricket next. Bethell famously scored a century in Sydney during the ill-fated Ashes tour. It’s the last Test the team has played. Never the favourite child of the English cricket establishment, Pietersen countered that Bethell would benefit by being around some of the best players in the world and learning from them, even if he was not playing. For good measure, he added that Cook has “absolutely no idea what it’s like to be in the IPL.” That was …

Lalit Modi’s 6 reasons why The Hundred will never match IPL ‘in this lifetime’ | Cricket News

Lalit Modi’s 6 reasons why The Hundred will never match IPL ‘in this lifetime’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

2 min readApr 19, 2026 11:16 AM IST Lalit Modi, the brains behind the Indian Premier League, has dismissed former England star Kevin Pietersen’s claim that in three years The Hundred will become the “UK’s version of the IPL”. Pietersen had written on X that The Hundred “won’t die in 3 years’ time, it’ll become a T20 competition within three years”. “Not in this lifetime will ANY T20 tournament will be like the IPL my friend,” Modi replied before listing out the six reasons why The Hundred cannot be the IPL. Modi said that the UK doesn’t consider cricket as a “premier sport”. “It’s football followed by rugby followed by racing followed by tennis followed by darts,” Modi said before listing out the other reasons. “The UK doesn’t have the die hard fan base; the population to support it; the advertisers to back it; the Indian players, who will never be allowed,” Modi wrote. He went on to say: “The 18 counties will find it hard to come to an agreement. If they do an …

Former England captains Atherton, Hussain & Boycott blast ECB over lack of Ashes accountability

Former England captains Atherton, Hussain & Boycott blast ECB over lack of Ashes accountability

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 25, 2026 11:47 PM IST The England Cricket Board (ECB) continues to find itself at the receiving end of criticism after handing a clean chit to head coach Brendon McCullum, following a disastrous Ashes series in which England lost 4–1 in emphatic fashion during the five-match Test tour of Australia last summer. ECB chief executive Richard Gould recently confirmed that the positions of captain Ben Stokes, managing director Rob Key, and McCullum are safe following a thorough review conducted by the board. Former England captain Michael Atherton expressed surprise at the decision. He believes fans will find it “extraordinary” that no jobs were lost for the “mistakes” made during the Ashes defeat. “From the perspective of people out there, they will find it extraordinary that there’s been no accountability for the mistakes made in the Ashes,” Atherton said while speaking to Key on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. “It’s not necessarily bloodlust people want, but I think they want genuine accountability. If there’s no change to key personnel, they will argue, ‘Well, …

‘Bazball as was’ is over, says Mike Atherton

‘Bazball as was’ is over, says Mike Atherton

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 24, 2026 01:28 PM IST The original Bazball project is effectively finished, former England captain Mike Atherton has written in The Times, following the ECB’s decision to retain Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes after England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat. Atherton wrote that Monday’s announcement at Lord’s “in effect ends the Bazball project as was,” with a more rigorous and accountable Bazball MkII now targeting the 2027 home Ashes. Players “who were given too much rope in Australia will be on a shorter leash,” he said, with selection likely to become more ruthless and results-driven. A senior appointment to the ECB board of someone with high-level cricket experience would also keep the management on their toes, Atherton noted. The management, Atherton wrote, was “very fortunate” to survive, noting that Duncan Fletcher, Andy Flower, Ashley Giles, Chris Silverwood and Joe Root had all paid the price for poor Ashes campaigns in recent years. At its core, he said, the failure in Australia was “an old tale: one of a set-up that became a …

Ben Stokes says last three months have been ‘hardest’ of his England captaincy reign | Cricket News

Ben Stokes says last three months have been ‘hardest’ of his England captaincy reign | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 24, 2026 12:31 PM IST On a day that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave extensions to England Test captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, Stokes has said that the past three months have been the “hardest” of his captaincy reign. “Being England captain is the greatest honour a player can be given and I do not take it for granted. It has its highs and it has its lows, it makes you want to smile, it makes you want to cry,” Stokes said in a post on Instagram with a picture of himself, Key and McCullum. “It completely and utterly consumes you and feels like it’s the only thing in your life at times. The last 3 months has without a doubt been the hardest period of my captaincy journey, it’s tested me in so many different ways and I’m sure every other captain has gone through this as well.” The under-fire England captain reaffirmed his commitment to take the England team forward after …

‘Leopards don’t change their spots’: Geoffrey Boycott slams ECB over ‘worst Ashes tour’, warns England on sticking with Brendon McCullum | Cricket News

‘Leopards don’t change their spots’: Geoffrey Boycott slams ECB over ‘worst Ashes tour’, warns England on sticking with Brendon McCullum | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readMar 24, 2026 12:21 PM IST Former England captain and legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott has slammed the ECB chief executive Richard Gould and managing director Rob Key for the review into England’s Ashes defeat earlier in the summer. The 85-year-old questioned the process behind concluding that head coach Brendon McCullum would continue in his role, adding that Gould and Key would not win too many supporters to keep the former New Zealand captain in the job. “The worst pre-planned Ashes tour in my lifetime, and nobody is held to account or to blame? In the famous words of John McEnroe: “You cannot be serious.” The review was done by Richard Gould, the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive, who has never played county or Test match cricket, and he decided nobody is to blame.” “What planet is he on? Is he oblivious to what the majority of former England players and cricket journalists are saying? Gould says it will not be a popular decision to keep Brendon McCullum, and he is damn …

Brendon McCullum set to remain England head coach after ECB Ashes review

Brendon McCullum set to remain England head coach after ECB Ashes review

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 22, 2026 10:51 AM IST Brendon McCullum is set to remain as England’s head coach following the Ashes review conducted by the England Cricket Board. According to a Sky Sports report, the ECB will confirm the development on Monday, with McCullum set to keep his post and expected to lead the Test team into the home Ashes in 2027. The New Zealander faced stern scrutiny over his position after a disastrous Ashes campaign in which England lost 4–1 to Australia. McCullum’s case was further undermined by reports of off-field incidents. Following the horrendous Ashes, the ECB launched a review process of the team. McCullum has expressed his desire to continue in his role, saying he “loves” his job and would want to carry on. After leading England to the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, he told Sky Sports: “I love the job. It’s a great job. It doesn’t come without its challenges, of course, but that is the nature of it. I feel we have achieved some really …