2 hours ago England caput manager Brendon McCullum says helium is acceptable to enactment with Ben Stokes erstwhile the skipper returns for the 3rd Test against New Zealand astatine Trent Bridge.
Stokes and gait bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for the immense second-Test defeat pending an probe into an incidental successful a London nightclub.
The results of the probe are inactive to beryllium confirmed, but McCullum has confirmed Stokes volition instrumentality arsenic captain, a presumption helium has held since 2022, successful Nottingham.
"Ben volition beryllium back," said McCullum. "He'll beryllium backmost and he'll beryllium captain."
Following a 4-1 Ashes bid decision that was dogged by off-field problems, some Stokes and McCullum denied their narration had deteriorated successful Australia.
Then, pursuing England's triumph successful the archetypal Test since the Ashes - against New Zealand astatine Lord's - Stokes broke the team's midnight curfew successful celebrating the victory.
On his narration with Stokes, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special: "You're conscionable trying to marque definite you're precise communicative close throughout.
"We each got the aforesaid ambition, which is to marque English cricket a precise bully squad and to effort to execute results connected the field, and that hasn't changed."
McCullum said helium has spoken to Stokes "every day" since the nightclub incident, which occurred successful the aboriginal hours of Monday, 8 June.
The New Zealander besides confirmed England manager of cricket Rob Key has visited Stokes this week.
English (US)·