England coach Brendon McCullum has disputed that the nightclub incident that sent the captain into exile for the second Test loss to New Zealand harmed his relationship with Ben Stokes.
After England’s first Test victory at Lord’s, Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were dismissed for violating a midnight curfew in an incident at a nightclub in London.
Following the all-rounder’s late-night antics, which led to speculation that he would lose his captaincy or retire from international duty, McCullum expressed his anxiety and worry over Stokes.
The England and Wales Cricket Board only issued a formal warning for violating “specific contractual obligations” after the two were mostly exonerated in two later investigations.
The Cricket Regulator determined that there was not enough evidence to support additional punishment for the two unprovoked attacks on Atkinson that took place in the nightclub while Stokes was not present.
Following a disappointing Ashes loss in Australia that was tainted by a drinking scandal involving England’s players, McCullum had turned down the chance to openly support Stokes while the investigation was underway, sparking fresh conjecture about the two’s relationship.
Without their captain and one of their most important fast bowlers, England suffered a crushing defeat in their second Test match.
However, Stokes and Atkinson trained with their teammates at Trent Bridge on Tuesday and are back in the squad for the third Test, which begins in Nottingham on Thursday. And during a long conversation before England’s net session, McCullum asserted that he is still friendly with Stokes.
“I’ve had a good catch-up with him this morning, an hour and a bit talking, and he was outstanding. 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,” AFP quoted McCullum telling reporters on Tuesday.
Asked if recent events had made their relationship more tense, McCullum said: “Not at all. We talked about that this morning. 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’. I said to him ‘as far I’m concerned, I consider you a good friend’. Obviously we’ve been through a lot together as a working pair in leadership positions here in English cricket. In the end, we both want what’s right and what is the best for English cricket and we’re crystal clear on the direction we want this team to take.”
The selectors made four changes, and Stokes and Atkinson are back in the England lineup for the third Test. James Rew is replaced as wicketkeeper by Jamie Smith, who returned after the birth of his second child.
With the intense heat this week predicted to favor slow bowlers, spinner Shoaib Bashir, who did not bowl a single over in his previous visit at Lord’s, can be selected. Ollie Robinson is sidelined while the fast bowlers include Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Jofra Archer.
In his first Test match in almost two years, the 32-year-old achieved career-best figures of 7-77 on a bowler-friendly field at Lord’s. However, he was unable to regain his spot after withdrawing from the second Test owing to a knee injury.
