Stokes to captain England in deciding New Zealand Test after curfew breach

Ben Stokes is set to return as England captain for the decisive third Test against New Zealand, head coach Brendon McCullum announced Sunday. Stokes missed England's heavy defeat in the second Test after breaching a team curfew. He was permitted to play for his county, Durham, where he scored 95 runs on Saturday.

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Ben will be back. He’ll be back and he’ll be captain.

Stokes and paceman Gus Atkinson were both removed from their respective county matches Sunday, signaling their imminent return to the Test squad. McCullum expressed relief at seeing Stokes back in form and enjoying the game, stating he had spoken with the all-rounder daily since the incident. "Ben will be back. He'll be back and he'll be captain," McCullum told reporters.

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I’ve been speaking to Ben every single day since we had the incident and my assessment was that I was worried about him. To see him go out there and play some cricket and look like he was enjoying himself is really positive.

Several hours later, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed Stokes and Atkinson's inclusion in the 15-man squad for the third Test. The ECB stated both players breached contractual obligations regarding conduct and acting in the best interests of England cricket. They received written warnings.

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It was also concluded that no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub.

The ECB's disciplinary hearing concluded that while Stokes and Atkinson breached curfew, they were not responsible for a violent altercation at a London nightclub. The statement indicated Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa attacked Atkinson, and an England security guard was injured. Stokes was not involved in or witness to the nightclub incidents. The Cricket Regulator also found the players did not provoke the incidents.

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The evidence the ECB has seen demonstrates that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion.