Ben Stokes to captain England again? Durham star pulled from County clash
In the clearest indication yet that England Test captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson are ready for an immediate return to international duty, both players have been abruptly withdrawn from the ongoing County Championship matches.
The decision, made at the express request of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday morning, strongly suggests that the duo will be included in the squad for the upcoming third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and Atkinson were controversially left out and made himself unavailable for the ongoing second Test at The Oval pending an internal investigation into the late-night incident at the London nightclub. However, while their international status remained in limbo, both were able to return to domestic cricket over the weekend. Stokes turned out for Durham at Chester-le-Street, while Atkinson lined up for Surrey against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
The ECB’s sudden intervention before the third day of the four-day matches completely changed the situation. Stokes, who showed his mettle by smashing 95 runs against Northamptonshire on Saturday, was ruled out of Durham’s home game. Colin Ackermann was suggested as his replacement.
At the same time, Atkinson was withdrawn from Surrey’s game at Glamorgan.
Historically, when the ECB withdraws centrally contracted players midway through a home game without active injury concerns, it points to one reality: an imminent call to a national bubble.
As early as Thursday, there were reports suggesting that the mood behind the scenes was shifting towards optimism, with Stokes highly likely to reclaim the captaincy from interim skipper Joe Root for the final Test starting on June 25.
While the ECB’s formal investigation into the pair breaking the strict midnight curfew isn’t technically over, management appear ready to bring them back into the fold.
No official announcement or confirmation from the team regarding the outcome of the investigation is expected until the end of the second Test.
It comes as a timely boost for England, who are staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat against a resurgent New Zealand side on Sunday’s final day at The Oval.
WHY BEN STOKES WAS LET GO
The dispute erupted in the happy aftermath of England’s victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s.
Stokes and Atkinson reportedly broke the team’s newly-imposed midnight curfew and headed to a Chelsea nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning to celebrate the win.
The night turned sour when a physical altercation broke out outside the venue. Reports suggested that the ECB security liaison officer accompanying the players was punched by Toto Auvao, a rugby player representing English club Saracens.
The security official reportedly required stitches after the melee. The fallout was swift and severe. The midnight curfew was specifically introduced by chief executive Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum to clean up the team’s culture after the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia earlier in the year.
Faced with an immediate breach from his own captain, McCullum admitted he felt “confused and angry” before his emotions turned to deep fear for Stokes’ well-being.
While cricket’s independent regulator continues to review the preliminary findings of the incident, the ECB’s decision to strip the player of county duty signals that disciplinary action may remain limited to a one-Test suspension.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
21 Jun 2026 15:12 IST