Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson set to return to England? ECB sparks speculation after County’s withdrawal | Cricket News:
England stars: Ben Stokes: and Gus Atkinson have been ruled out of their ongoing County Championship matches following a request from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), a move which has sparked 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 they broke the team’s curfew while celebrating England’s series-opening victory at Lord’s. With a stand-in captain Joe Root: leading an inexperienced side, England struggled against New Zealand at The Oval and faced a tough final day.Before being withdrawn, both players impressed for their counties. Stokes won for Durham against Northamptonshire and bowled 25 overs on Friday before smashing 95 runs in an entertaining knock on Saturday. National selector Marcus North was one of those who watched his performance.Atkinson also made his presence felt for Surrey against Glamorgan, claiming four wickets for 61 runs. Following the ECB’s request, Stokes was replaced by Colin Ackermann in Durham’s playing XI, while Tom Lawes came in for Atkinson at Surrey.
Questions remain to be answered: curfew violation INVESTIGATIONS
Although England head coach Brendon McCullum has previously expressed concerns about Stokes’ mindset, Durham coach Ryan Campbell offered a different view. “All I saw was the same old Ben Stokes who loved being in the dressing room at Durham, who loved being around a cricket ground and who didn’t miss a beat,” he added.According to English media reports, the ECB is still investigating the pair’s violation of the curfew, and the decision has not yet been announced. Likewise, England’s squad for the third Test is yet to be confirmed. Any update on the matter is expected only after the conclusion of the second Test at The Oval.Meanwhile, England suffered a crushing 253-run defeat against New Zealand at The Oval, squandering the momentum from their Lord’s victory as the series was leveled at 1-1 ahead of the decisive third Test in Nottingham.
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