Ben Stokes Left Out, Joe Root To Lead England In Second New Zealand Test

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England have left Test captain Ben Stokes out of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval after a nightclub incident, with Joe Root set to lead the side as interim captain.

Fast bowler Gus Atkinson has also been left out after Stokes and Atkinson breached the team’s midnight curfew in the early hours of Monday. The England and Wales Cricket Board said Stokes and Atkinson "have not been made available for selection", according to a Times of India report.

Root returns because Stokes and Atkinson are unavailable for selection

Root will captain England for the first time since stepping down from the role in 2022, after the ECB made Stokes unavailable and did not hand the match leadership to vice-captain Harry Brook.

The report said Stokes and Atkinson were present at a nightclub when a member of England’s security staff was struck by Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa. Brook remains England’s vice-captain, but England have chosen Root to lead the side for the match.

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Brook was involved in a separate incident last year when he was punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington on the eve of an ODI against New Zealand.

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Root resumes a role he held across 64 England Tests

Root led England in a record 64 Tests between 2017 and 2022 before resigning after England managed one win in 17 Tests. Stokes succeeded Root as England Test captain.

Root remains England’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket, and his return gives England an experienced captain for the second match of the New Zealand series.

Archer and Cox added for the June 17 Test at The Oval

England have added fast bowler Jofra Archer and batter Jordan Cox to the squad that won the opening Test against New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s.

The second Test against New Zealand begins at The Oval on June 17. The report also said some reports have suggested Stokes may retire from cricket after the controversy, but the cited ECB position only confirmed that Stokes and Atkinson were not available for selection.

England squad named for the second Test

  • Joe Root (captain)
  • Rehan Ahmed
  • Jofra Archer
  • Sonny Baker
  • Shoaib Bashir
  • Jacob Bethell
  • Harry Brook
  • Jordan Cox
  • Ben Duckett
  • Matthew Fisher
  • Emilio Gay
  • James Rew
  • Ollie Robinson
  • Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
  • Josh Tongue