Ben Stokes has rejoined the England squad for the third test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, starting Friday NZT, but declined to confirm whether he would continue as captain beyond the series.
Stokes and Gus Atkinson missed the second test while under investigation for breaching a team curfew after England's first test win at Lord's. The pair went out past midnight, a threshold the team established following an Ashes series in which player conduct came under fire. During the night out at a London club, a member of England's security staff was allegedly assaulted by a Saracens rugby player.
The England and Wales Cricket Board issued written warnings to both players for breaching contractual terms, though the Cricket Regulator found no evidence of regulatory violations. Both were immediately recalled after the investigation closed.
England lost the second test by 253 runs at The Oval under interim captain Joe Root, leaving the series level at 1-1.
Stokes addressed his teammates on Tuesday, his first day back with the squad. "I'm focusing on this week," he said in a 15-minute news conference. "This has been something that has happened and has obviously taken a lot of attention away from the series. But I want to make sure that my focus is where it needs to be."
Asked about his relationship with coach Brendon McCullum, whom he has worked alongside since they both took their roles in 2022, Stokes said "we certainly haven't drifted apart, as has been the big speculation about it".
While suspended, Stokes turned out for Durham in the county championship and scored 95 runs, a performance that came amid scrutiny of his batting form. "Maybe being on the front pages for the wrong reasons could be good for my cricket," he said.