AFP | London

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Ben Stokes' position as England cricket captain was in jeopardy Monday after officials announced he was being investigated for a nightclub incident reportedly involving a Saracens rugby player.

Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson are facing a probe by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaking team rules in the early hours of Monday morning following England's win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's.

It is the latest controversy concerning the England team following a tour of Australia where the side faced allegations of a drinking culture during a 4-1 Ashes series loss concluded in January.

If Stokes is stripped of the captaincy, vice-captain Harry Brook -- already the skipper of England's white-ball teams -- could lead the hosts in next week's second Test across London at the Oval.

This would represent a remarkable reversal for Brook, who was fined and censured for late-night drinking and clashing with a nightclub bouncer before captaining England in a one-day international in Wellington in October.

“The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men's Test against New Zealand,” the governing body said in a statement issued Monday.