Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson back in England XI for final Test against New Zealand after being cleared of wrongdoing by Cricket Regulator
Published 23/06/2026 at 18:28 GMT+1
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Brendon McCullum has moved to ease any reports of a breakdown with England captain Ben Stokes, after stating the pair are "tight". The all-rounder has been named in the XI for the final Test against New Zealand, after being cleared by the Cricket Regulator of any wrongdoing for a nightclub incident.
‘We’ve done a lot of damage to ourselves’ - Stokes looks back on Ashes loss
Video credit: TNT Sports
The all-rounder, alongside bowler Gus Atkinson, missed the 253-run defeat at the Oval last week following an incident at a nightclub.
But the pair were exonerated of any wrongdoing by the Cricket Regulator.
They will now make an immediate international return in a crunch match at Trent Bridge.
The hosts have opted to make four changes in total, with spinner Shoaib Bashir and wicket-keeper Jamie Smith also back in the side.
The former was overlooked at the Oval, as England opted for a four-pronged pace attack.
Smith, on the other hand, was on paternity leave, with James Rew taking the gloves in his absence.
The Somerset man has been left out of this match, as have Jordan Cox, Matt Fisher and Sonny Baker.
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It means England have almost reverted to the XI who defeated New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test of the series at Lord's.
The only alteration from that side is that Jofra Archer retains his place ahead of Ollie Robinson, who is still struggling for fitness.
McCullum - 'I still consider him a good friend'
This fixture takes on huge importance for England, who have not lost a home series of three matches or more since 2014.
They are also looking to bounce back from a chastening 4-1 Ashes defeat over the winter.
The headlines of the past two weeks have therefore been an unwanted distraction for a team keen to let their cricket do the talking.
And talking is something Stokes has shied away from since the nightclub incident.
Other than an Instagram story wishing England's trio of debutants good luck at the Oval, Stokes has not spoken publicly over the last fortnight.
The silence has led to reports of a rift between him and head coach Brendon McCullum.
But McCullum said that speculation over a breakdown in their relationship is wide of the mark.
He explained: "I said [to Stokes]: '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.' I said to him: 'As far I'm concerned, I consider you a good friend.'
"He looks fantastic, he looks ready to go, he's enthusiastic about the week and obviously from our point of view, it's nice to have the band back together.
"It's been a real privilege for me over the past four years to work in intimate detail and as a partnership alongside Ben.
"I look back on that fondly about how tight we were as a group and how tight we were as a pair. Anything outside of that, it's not really up to us. Ben and I are tight."
During his England absence, Stokes took up the opportunity to play county cricket for Durham. He was pulled out of their Championship clash against Northampton after two days.
But that was only after blasting 95 off just 118 balls, as well as taking 1 for 80 from 25 overs.
Atkinson, too, played for Surrey in their eventual defeat to Glamorgan, with the seamer's 22.1 overs yielding four wickets for just 61 runs.
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