Ben Stokes to captain England again? Durham star pulled from County clash
The ECB withdrew Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson from their County Championship matches on Sunday, signalling a likely England return for the third Test. The move points to a one-Test suspension over the curfew breach as the enquiry continues.
In the clearest indication yet that England Test captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson are set for an immediate return to international duty, both players have been abruptly withdrawn from their ongoing County Championship fixtures.
The decision, made at the explicit request of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday morning, strongly suggests the duo will be included in the squad for the upcoming third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and Atkinson were controversially dropped and made unavailable for the ongoing second Test at The Oval pending an internal investigation into a late-night incident at a London nightclub. However, while their international status remained in limbo, both were permitted to return to domestic cricket over the weekend. Stokes turned out for Durham at Chester-le-Street, while Atkinson lined up for Surrey against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
The sudden intervention by the ECB ahead of day three of the four-day matches changed the landscape entirely. Stokes, who had sent a roaring reminder of his capabilities on Saturday by smashing a blistering 95 runs against Northamptonshire, took no further part in Durham's home fixture. Colin Ackermann was drafted in as his replacement.
Concurrently, Atkinson was pulled from Surrey's match at Glamorgan.
Historically, when the ECB pulls centrally contracted players midway through a domestic game without an active injury concern, it points to one reality: an imminent call-up to the national bubble.
Reports had already emerged on Thursday suggesting that the mood behind the scenes was shifting towards optimism, with Stokes highly likely to reclaim the captaincy from interim skipper Joe Root for the final Test beginning June 25.
While the ECB's formal investigations into the pair breaking a strict midnight curfew are technically incomplete, the management appears ready to integrate them back into the fold.
No official squad announcement or confirmation regarding the inquiry's outcome is expected until the conclusion of the second Test.
It comes as a timely boost for England, who are staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat against a resurgent New Zealand side on Sunday's final day at The Oval.
WHY WAS BEN STOKES DROPPED
The controversy erupted in the joyful aftermath of England's victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
Celebrating the win, Stokes and Atkinson allegedly breached the team's newly instituted midnight curfew, heading to a nightclub in Chelsea in the early hours of Monday morning.
The night turned sour when a physical altercation broke out outside the venue. Reports indicated that an ECB security liaison officer, who had accompanied the players, was struck by Totoa Auvaa, a rugby player representing the English club Saracens.
The security official reportedly required stitches following the melee. The fallout was swift and severe. The midnight curfew had been specifically introduced by Managing Director Rob Key and Head Coach Brendon McCullum to clean up team culture following a bruising 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia earlier in the year.
Facing an immediate breach by his own captain, McCullum admitted to feeling "bewildered and angry" before his emotions turned to profound worry for Stokes' well-being.
While the independent Cricket Regulator continues to review the preliminary findings of the incident, the ECB's decision to stand the players down from county duty signals that the disciplinary axing may remain limited to a one-Test suspension.
In the clearest indication yet that England Test captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson are set for an immediate return to international duty, both players have been abruptly withdrawn from their ongoing County Championship fixtures.
The decision, made at the explicit request of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday morning, strongly suggests the duo will be included in the squad for the upcoming third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and Atkinson were controversially dropped and made unavailable for the ongoing second Test at The Oval pending an internal investigation into a late-night incident at a London nightclub. However, while their international status remained in limbo, both were permitted to return to domestic cricket over the weekend. Stokes turned out for Durham at Chester-le-Street, while Atkinson lined up for Surrey against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
The sudden intervention by the ECB ahead of day three of the four-day matches changed the landscape entirely. Stokes, who had sent a roaring reminder of his capabilities on Saturday by smashing a blistering 95 runs against Northamptonshire, took no further part in Durham's home fixture. Colin Ackermann was drafted in as his replacement.
Concurrently, Atkinson was pulled from Surrey's match at Glamorgan.
Historically, when the ECB pulls centrally contracted players midway through a domestic game without an active injury concern, it points to one reality: an imminent call-up to the national bubble.
Reports had already emerged on Thursday suggesting that the mood behind the scenes was shifting towards optimism, with Stokes highly likely to reclaim the captaincy from interim skipper Joe Root for the final Test beginning June 25.
While the ECB's formal investigations into the pair breaking a strict midnight curfew are technically incomplete, the management appears ready to integrate them back into the fold.
No official squad announcement or confirmation regarding the inquiry's outcome is expected until the conclusion of the second Test.
It comes as a timely boost for England, who are staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat against a resurgent New Zealand side on Sunday's final day at The Oval.
WHY WAS BEN STOKES DROPPED
The controversy erupted in the joyful aftermath of England's victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
Celebrating the win, Stokes and Atkinson allegedly breached the team's newly instituted midnight curfew, heading to a nightclub in Chelsea in the early hours of Monday morning.
The night turned sour when a physical altercation broke out outside the venue. Reports indicated that an ECB security liaison officer, who had accompanied the players, was struck by Totoa Auvaa, a rugby player representing the English club Saracens.
The security official reportedly required stitches following the melee. The fallout was swift and severe. The midnight curfew had been specifically introduced by Managing Director Rob Key and Head Coach Brendon McCullum to clean up team culture following a bruising 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia earlier in the year.
Facing an immediate breach by his own captain, McCullum admitted to feeling "bewildered and angry" before his emotions turned to profound worry for Stokes' well-being.
While the independent Cricket Regulator continues to review the preliminary findings of the incident, the ECB's decision to stand the players down from county duty signals that the disciplinary axing may remain limited to a one-Test suspension.
