Stokes to return as England captain for third Test against New Zealand, confirms McCullum
London, June 21
England head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that Ben Stokes will return to the squad and resume captaincy for the third Test against New Zealand next week, with the team set to be announced later.
McCullum emphasized that their shared vision for England cricket remains unchanged, describing the recent situation as part of a necessary process rather than any deeper issue.
Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson stood down from the second Test for disciplinary reasons, a move that appears to clear the way for their reintegration into the squad.
"Firstly Ben will be back, we'll name the squad this afternoon. Ben will be back and be captain. Everyone is excited about that," McCullum said as per ESPNcricinfo.
"I think we've always backed [Stokes], and I talked extensively about over the last four years, we've worked collaboratively together for the betterment of English cricket, and we've always had the same vision and goal at hand, and that hasn't changed. It's just there's a process that was needed to go through," he added.
McCullum also said he is looking forward for third Test against Kiwi's and the opportunity for England to seal a series win against a strong New Zealand. He described a potential series victory as a major achievement, especially given the challenges faced by the team over the past week, which he noted had been difficult for several members of the squad.
"I'm looking forward to next week," McCullum said. "It'd be nice to have the opportunity to try and close out a series win against the very good New Zealand side. If we're able to do that, then I think it'd be a mighty achievement, particularly after the last week or so, which has been very difficult on a number of people."
Stokes and Atkinson were unavailable for selection at The Oval after reportedly breaching team curfew following England's victory in the first Test, which was linked to an incident at a Chelsea nightclub where an ECB security liaison was allegedly struck.
Both players were subsequently allowed to feature for their counties while investigations by the Cricket Regulator and the ECB remain ongoing, with the findings yet to be publicly released.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I agree with McCullum's approach. Discipline is important, but so is giving players a chance to learn from mistakes. Stokes is a match-winner, and England needs him. Captaincy ban for one game is fair punishment. Best of luck for the series win! 🇮🇳
I'm from the UK but follow from India. Stokes is a generational talent, but this curfew breach shows poor leadership. McCullum's "process" line sounds like corporate jargon. Just call it what it is: a slap on the wrist. Still, hope England wins the series—New Zealand are tough.
As an Indian cricket fan, I find this interesting. Our BCCI would have made a huge drama, but ECB handled it quietly. Stokes returning as captain is the right call. He's the heart of this team. Just wish our players could be managed with similar maturity. 😅
McCullum is a brilliant coach, but this incident exposes a culture problem. Star players getting special treatment? Come on. Stokes should be held to a higher standard as captain. One Test ban feels like a token gesture. Let's see if he actually learns from this.
Honestly, I'm just relieved they didn't ruin his career over this. In India, the media would have crucified him. Stokes is a legend, and Bazball is entertainment gold. Hope he leads England to a series win against NZ. And McCullum—always classy handling the press. 👏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.