Captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have returned to England’s squad for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge following the conclusion of a disciplinary hearing.
Stokes and Atkinson were suspended from the second Test after a curfew breach at a London nightclub.
They were reportedly present when a member of England’s security staff was involved in an incident following England’s first-Test win.
Stokes missed the second Test, which New Zealand won by 253 runs at The Oval to level the series 1-1.
“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been included in the England men’s squad for the third Test against New Zealand following the conclusion of an ECB disciplinary hearing in relation to their conduct in the early hours of Monday 8 June,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
“Stokes and Atkinson were found to have breached specific contractual obligations that require England players to at all times maintain the highest standards of conduct and act in the best interests of England cricket.”
The ECB said both players had received written warnings but were not blamed for the violence.
It was noted Stokes was not present during the violent conduct and Atkinson was subjected to unprovoked attacks but did not retaliate.
Joe Root deputised as captain in Stokes’s absence and reached the milestone of 14,000 Test runs, becoming only the second player to do so after India great Sachin Tendulkar.
Stokes impressed for Durham in a county match over the weekend, scoring 95 off 118 balls against Northamptonshire.
The third Test begins on June 25 in Nottingham.
Reuters
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