Stokes to return as captain for third Test, coach McCullum confirms

Ben Stokes will resume his role as captain for England in the upcoming third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, head coach Brendon McCullum has confirmed.

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

Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were sidelined for the second Test defeat while an investigation into an incident at a London nightclub was conducted. Although the investigation's findings have not yet been released, McCullum stated unequivocally that Stokes, who has captained the side since 2022, will lead the team again.

McCullum addressed concerns about his relationship with Stokes, particularly after a series of off-field issues that have plagued the team. He emphasized open communication and a shared goal of improving English cricket. "We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn't changed," McCullum told BBC Test Match Special.

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You're just trying to make sure you're very communicative right throughout. We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn't changed.

Director of England cricket Rob Key has met with Stokes this week. McCullum described their working relationship as intimate and productive over the past four years, acknowledging both successes and failures. He expressed confidence in their ability to collaborate effectively moving forward, driven by a mutual vision for the team's success.

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We've worked together intimately for four years. We've achieved some cool things and let ourselves down in other things. Our motivation, belief and ambition for this side has not wavered. We have robust conversations all the way through and I think that is to be expected when you're in positions of leadership. There is a mutual respect to how we operate with those.

Stokes recently scored 95 for Durham in a County Championship match, his highest score since July of the previous year. Both Stokes and Atkinson were withdrawn from their respective county matches on Sunday to be ready for the third Test, which begins on Thursday. McCullum expressed relief at seeing Stokes playing and enjoying the game again, calling it "really positive."

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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.