England Test captain Ben Stokes may step down from his role and even retire from cricket following the nightclub controversy involving him and teammate Gus Atkinson, according to a report in talkSPORT.The development comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation into an incident involving Stokes and Atkinson at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday, hours after England’s 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.Speaking on talkSPORT, The Cricketer’s senior correspondent, George Dobell, said he had been told Stokes could choose to leave on his own rather than wait for disciplinary action.“From everything I hear I fear Stokes is going to take action first. And, sadly, I hear he is going to step down and possibly even retire.”“I think it would be extremely regrettable and I hope he doesn’t do that. I hope he stands up and fights for who we know as Ben Stokes.”Stokes is currently England’s Test captain and has been a key figure in the team’s red-ball setup. Although he now plays only Test cricket, his retirement will end his 15-year career at the top level.Some media reports over the past few weeks have also suggested that Stokes has fallen out with England head coach Brendon McCullum since the Ashes and may see the latest controversy as a point to move on from the role.According to the report of Cricinfo, another possibility is that Stokes may take a break from cricket. He took an indefinite leave of absence from the game in 2021 on mental health grounds, before replacing Joe Root as England captain a year later.The ECB confirmed on Monday that Stokes and Atkinson were involved in an incident while celebrating England’s victory over New Zealand.“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when the incident occurred,” an ECB statement said.“We are currently seeking further information and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.”England are expected to delay naming their squad for the second Test against New Zealand until they hear from Stokes. It also claimed that neither Stokes nor Atkinson were expected to feature in the remainder of the series.The controversy comes months after England re-imposed a team curfew following the Ashes tour of Australia, during which players faced criticism over drinking and discipline issues.On Sunday, England defeated New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s. On the final day, Atkinson took five wickets for 30 runs while Stokes also took one wicket.The second Test against New Zealand will start from June 17 at The Oval.