Ben Stokes likely to lead England in third Test following as nightclub episode anger cools down

England Test skipper Ben Stokes appears likely to return to the squad as captain for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in Nottingham after investigations into his nightclub curfew breach.

Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson were involved in a late-night altercation at a nightclub after the victory at the Lord's in the first Test. The incident was also a breach of the curfew imposed on the team after the fallout from several drinking-related incidents from the Ashes. Stokes himself was among the decision-makers who put the curfew in place.

As per The Telegraph, the pair were interviewed by the England and Wales Cricket Board this week, and the reports of the internal investigation into the matter will be released before the ongoing second Test. The ECB maintains the position that no final decisions have been made over Stokes' trip to Nottingham on Thursday, but during the past week, the initially irate team management has clearly softened its stance.

Stokes is set to feature for Durham in the County Championship clash against Northamptonshire, having been added to the 15-member squad for the clash at Chester-Le-Street. In Stokes’ absence, Joe Root took over the reins to captain England for the second Test at the Oval as vice-captain Harry Brook himself was involved in a nightclub incident ahead of an ODI in Wellington, a revelation which only came to light months after the incident.

Brendon McCullum and Men’s Director of Cricket Rob Key did not ascertain Stokes losing his captaincy, but it has been speculated that if the star all-rounder returns to the team after the investigation, he will be taking the field as captain of the side. The head coach also spoke of Stokes’ mental well-being after the incident, after reports of the latter wanting to retire from the game started doing the rounds.

The fallout from the incident and further squad absences in Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith saw the trio of Jordan Cox, James Rew, and Sonny Baker make their Test debuts at the Oval.