Ben Stokes Fights with Rob Key and Brendon McCullum

Ben Stokes' relationship with England's managing director, Rob Key, and head coach Brendon McCullum has reportedly plunged to its lowest ebb.

What happened?

The trouble can be traced back to England's miserable Ashes tour down under, where Stokes was dissatisfied with McCullum's methods. Stokes spelt out his concerns in the official end-of-series report, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave both McCullum and Key its full backing.

Why it matters for Ben Stokes

The relationship took its hardest hit after a late-night episode at a Chelsea nightspot involving Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson. Two separate inquiries were launched, but both men emerged largely unscathed, with the Cricket Regulator finding too little evidence to justify anything beyond a written warning. Stokes was reportedly wounded by the refusal of Key and McCullum to speak up for him in public while investigators did their work.

What comes next?

Tensions spilled into public view when former captain Michael Vaughan published a column suggesting trust between Stokes and the ECB may be permanently broken. McCullum insists the pair are fine after an hour-long chat before the Nottingham Test, but the incident has raised doubts over their working relationship. The England captain felt abandoned by management's silence and threatened to walk away from the game, according to WhatsApp exchanges with team management. Stokes and Atkinson have returned for the Trent Bridge clash starting Thursday, after England suffered a heavy loss in the second Test without their captain. The ECB issued written warnings for breaching certain contractual terms, but the Cricket Regulator found insufficient evidence to take further action. Stokes' agent and close confidant, Neil Fairbrother, reposted Vaughan's column, which was briefly shared, then quickly removed, from Stokes's own social media account.