- By Sunny Daud
- Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
England captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson have been ruled out of selection for the second Test against New Zealand as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) continues its investigation into a nightclub incident involving the pair.
Why Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson out from England squad?
The controversy began after England’s victory in the opening Test at Lord’s. Stokes and Atkinson were reportedly involved in an incident outside a nightclub during the early hours of Monday morning, prompting the ECB to launch an investigation.
Amid growing speculation about the matter, some reports claimed that Stokes was even considering stepping down as England captain and could potentially rethink his international future.
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ECB on dropping Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson
Confirming the decision, the ECB said in a statement that neither Stokes nor Atkinson would be available for selection while the investigation remains ongoing.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that, given the ongoing investigation, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have not been made available for selection for the second Test against New Zealand,” the statement said.
With Stokes unavailable, Joe Root will take charge of the side as stand-in captain. Harry Brook will continue in his role as vice-captain. Root previously led England in Test cricket before handing over the captaincy to Stokes in 2022.
England have named Jordan Cox and Jofra Archer as additions to the squad. Apart from those changes, the rest of the squad remains unchanged.
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The second Test against New Zealand is scheduled to be played at The Oval, with England now preparing for a crucial match without their regular captain.
England squad for second and third Tests against New Zealand
Joe Root (c), Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vc), Jamie Smith (wk), James Rew, Jordan Cox, Rehan Ahmed, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir.