Ben Stokes returns to captain England in the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, while Gus Atkinson is also back in the XI as England named their side two days before the match.
Stokes, Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Shoaib Bashir replace James Rew, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker in four changes to the side that suffered a 253-run defeat at The Oval. The XI largely resembles the one that helped England take a 1-0 lead at Lord’s, with Jofra Archer’s inclusion in place of Ollie Robinson the only difference from that winning combination.
England’s heavily reshuffled side struggled in the second Test after making five changes to the team that won at Lord’s. Chasing 463, they were bowled out for 209 as New Zealand levelled the series and forced a decider at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and Atkinson had been ruled unavailable for the second Test after breaching the team’s midnight curfew following England’s victory in the series opener. The pair were reportedly present during an altercation involving an ECB security staff member and a Saracens rugby player, prompting an ECB investigation and disciplinary process.
A subsequent hearing found that “no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub”. The ECB said Stokes was not involved in the altercation, while Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate. Both players, however, received written warnings for breaching team conduct requirements.
Meanwhile, the Cricket Regulator concluded its separate investigation into the incident and determined there was insufficient evidence to establish any breach of ECB Cricket Regulations.
Ahead of the decider, head coach Brendon McCullum dismissed suggestions of a strain in his relationship with Stokes amid speculation that surfaced during the fallout from the incident. “We talked about that this morning,” McCullum said. “I said, ‘do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?’ He said ‘no, I have no idea as far as I’m concerned.’
“And I said to him ‘As far as I’m concerned I consider you a good friend and obviously we’ve been through a lot together as a working pair in leadership positions here at English cricket.’ In the end, we both want what’s right and what’s the best for English Cricket and we’re crystal clear on the direction that we want this team to take.”
McCullum said debate and disagreement were natural within a leadership group but stressed that the pair remained closely aligned. “There is [are] going to be times where we discuss things and we debate things. We’ve always ended up making decisions together, but we are good friends. We work very well together. It’s been a real privilege for me over the last four years to work in intimate detail and as a partnership alongside Ben. Ben and I are tight.”
The England coach also reiterated the importance of maintaining standards within the setup. “It’s a great honour to represent your country. You represent not just yourself but all your family, your friends, all the people who support this team.
“It’s a big organisation which comes with some wonderful positives and a great lifestyle but also comes with some challenges and some responsibilities. Some of those are making sure that we act in the right manner and that we don’t find ourselves in the situation that we found ourselves in last little while.
