Ben Stokes Set To Return As England Captain For Third Test Against New Zealand

England captain Ben Stokes could return to Test duty as soon as next week’s series finale against New Zealand after he and Gus Atkinson were stood down from the ongoing second Test at the Oval for breaking a team curfew following the hosts’ win in the series opener at Lord’s.

The BBC said Stokes and Atkinson were under investigation for their part in an incident in a London nightclub when they broke England’s midnight curfew, and that they have been made unavailable for the second Test pending the investigation.

AP News

Sky Sports reported Stokes is expected to be back for the third Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on June 25, after the ECB’s inquiries and the Cricket Regulator’s investigation were moving toward a conclusion.

In the immediate term, Stokes was set to play for Durham on Friday in the County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge, while Joe Root stepped in as captain for the second Test on a “game-by-game basis.”

Ahead of the second Test, England coach Brendon McCullum repeatedly voiced “worry” and “concern” for Stokes’s absent captaincy, while Durham coach Ryan Campbell told the BBC that “some of the reaction has been a little over (the top).”

The Mirror said Ian Botham slammed Stokes after the curfew breach and nightclub incident, quoting Botham as saying, “They never learn do they?”

BBC

Botham also framed the issue as a failure of discipline after the game, adding “Some people just don’t learn, do they?” in criticism of the latest incident.

As the investigation continued, the BBC reported that Joe Root deputised as captain for the second Test and said he would hold the role on a “game-by-game” basis, with the ECB denying Stokes had been asked to resign.

The BBC reported that while all outcomes remained possible, there was a growing likelihood Stokes would return to lead England in Nottingham, with the match starting on Thursday, 25 June.

“Ben Stokes could return as England captain as early as next week for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge”

BBC

The Guardian said the ECB was hopeful Stokes would make a quick return as England captain, with the board understood to be waiting for a report from the Cricket Regulator into Stokes’s and Gus Atkinson’s breaking of the team curfew.

The Guardian also described how McCullum and Rob Key refused to say publicly they wanted Stokes back in the side, while behind the scenes the mood was believed to be more optimistic and the ECB was eager to get the matter resolved quickly.

With Stokes named in Durham’s squad for their County Championship match against Northamptonshire on Friday, the BBC noted that Stokes and Atkinson remain available to play domestic cricket even though they were prevented from playing for England at The Oval.