Last Updated on 28 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
There were fears that Ben Stokes would not captain England again after the all-rounder, along with Gus Atkinson, broke curfew rules following victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s. However, a report in The Telegraph UK suggests Stokes could be on his way back, as early as the third Test against the Black Caps at Trent Bridge.
Rob Key and Brendon McCullum both insisted they felt anger after being made aware of the incident involving a rugby player at a Chelsea nightclub. However, both, especially McCullum, have spoken of Stokes’ wellbeing, indicating the all-rounder could return pending the results of an internal investigation.
“To hear about this was incredibly gutting. When you’re in roles like this you have to start trying to separate the action from the man,” McCullum said before England’s second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.
“Very quickly, though, talking to Ben in particular, and also Gus, my overall emotion turned to worry and concern for Ben in particular. Since then, it has been about how we support these guys, whilst not overlooking the fact they have not lived up to the standards we have set for ourselves.
“You can’t walk past that, and we’ll deal with that in time and through a process. For me, it’s very much about how we support these guys through the next stage, in particular Ben. That is very much where my mind is at, my worry for him.”
England likely to stick with Ben Stokes as Test captain – report
Joe Root was named captain for second Test at the Oval. It is clear that Root is just the interim option, as Harry Brook is considered not quite ready at this stage.
“England insist no final decisions have been made about whether Stokes will play in Nottingham next Thursday, but there has been a clear softening of attitudes over the past week from an initially angry team management,” read Will Macpherson’s report. “Joe Root is captaining at the Oval in Stokes’s absence, but if the regular captain plays next Thursday, it is expected that he will lead the team.”
The news comes as Lord Ian Botham criticised Stokes and Atkinson for their decision-making, especially in light of the 2017 Bristol incident and what happened in New Zealand and Australia during the winter.
“They never learn do they? It’s as simple as that,” Botham said on the Stick to Cricket Podcast.
“We as a club [Durham], when he had the problems in Bristol [in 2017], we stood by him, I stood by him, the whole team stood by him, I was chairman then. Everyone supported him then.
“I don’t see how you can justify what happened after the game [at Lord’s], especially when you were probably very much in charge of when the curfew is, midnight.”
The third Test between England and New Zealand starts on June 25.
