Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson set to return to England? The ECB will fuel speculation after the district withdrawal

Ben Stokes Gus Atkinson (Photo: Getty Images) England stars Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been withdrawn from their ongoing County Championship matches at the request of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), a move that has fueled speculation that both players could return for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge next week.Neither Stokes nor Atkinson played in the second Test after breaking the team curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the series opener at Lord’s. With stand-in captain Joe Root leading an inexperienced side, England faced New Zealand at The Oval and faced a tough final day.Both players had impressed for their counties before being withdrawn. Stokes emerged as Durham against Northamptonshire and bowled 25 overs on Friday before smashing 95 runs in an entertaining knock on Saturday. National coach Marcus North was among those watching his performance.Atkinson also made his presence felt for Surrey against Glamorgan, taking four wickets for 61 runs. At the request of the ECB, Stokes was replaced by Colin Ackermann in the Durham XI, while Tom Lawes came in for Atkinson at Surrey.

Questions remain about the curfew violation investigation

Although England head coach Brendon McCullum had previously expressed concerns about Stokes’ mindset, Durham coach Ryan Campbell offered a different view. “I just saw the same old Ben Stokes who loves working in the dressing room at Durham, loves being on the cricket field and hasn’t missed a minute,” he added.According to English media reports, the ECB is still investigating the pair’s breach of curfew and no decision has yet been announced. Likewise, the England squad for the third Test has not been confirmed. Any updates on the matter are expected after the conclusion of the second Test at The Oval.Meanwhile, England suffered a crushing 253-run defeat to New Zealand at the Oval, squandering the momentum of their Lord’s victory as the series was leveled at 1-1 ahead of the decisive third Test in Nottingham.