LONDON — Former England captain Michael Atherton stated on June 25, 2026, that England Test captain Ben Stokes has not apologized for a nightclub incident that occurred after the Lord's Test match. Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson underwent a disciplinary process following a night out during the match.

Atherton said, "All the chaos that we've talked about wouldn't have happened had there not been a disciplinary process, had him (Stokes) and Gus Atkinson not found themselves subject to a disciplinary process." He also stated, "There was quite a lot of things that remained unsaid about the disciplinary process, about what happened over the 10 days subsequent to Lord's."

Stokes previously told Sky Sports that he felt "frustrated" and "disappointed" at how his actions impacted the England team's dynamics. He also stated that he has apologized to stand-in captain Joe Root and his other teammates about the disturbance he caused. Atherton added that, based on prior conversations and press conferences, Stokes had taken ownership of the "subsequent chaos that has enveloped the team."