Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been reinstated to England's squad for the decisive third Test against New Zealand following the conclusion of an ECB investigation into a breach of team curfew. The pair were disciplined after celebrating England's first Test victory at Lord's, which ended in a fight at a Chelsea nightclub.
The ECB confirmed that both players received written warnings for breaching contractual obligations. However, the investigation cleared them of any blame for the violent incident, noting that Stokes was not involved and Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks. The Cricket Regulator also decided not to pursue the matter further.
England head coach Brendon McCullum expressed frustration at the recurring disciplinary issues, stating that the team's focus should be on cricket. He acknowledged ambiguity in the curfew rules and promised to document them more clearly to avoid future uncertainty.
Stokes, who scored 95 for Durham before being withdrawn from the match at the ECB's request, will rejoin the squad for the Trent Bridge Test starting Thursday. New Zealand won the second Test by 253 runs, setting up a series decider.
McCullum praised the team's performance despite fielding three debutants in the second Test, but admitted inexperience was a factor. Ollie Robinson returns from injury for the final match, while debutants Sonny Baker and James Rew have been dropped.
