McCullum welcomes Stokes return as captain for third Test
· Yahoo Sports
England head coach Brendon McCullum says he is ready to work with Ben Stokes when the captain returns for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for the huge second-Test defeat pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub.
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The results of the investigation are still to be confirmed, but McCullum has confirmed Stokes will return as captain, a position he has held since 2022, in Nottingham.
"Ben will be back," said McCullum. "He'll be back and he'll be captain."
Following a 4-1 Ashes series defeat that was dogged by off-field problems, both Stokes and McCullum denied their relationship had deteriorated in Australia.
Then, following England's win in the first Test since the Ashes - against New Zealand at Lord's - Stokes broke the team's midnight curfew in celebrating the victory.
On his relationship with Stokes, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special: "You're just trying to make sure you're very communicative right throughout.
"We all got the same ambition, which is to make English cricket a very good team and to try to achieve results on the field, and that hasn't changed."
McCullum said he has spoken to Stokes "every day" since the nightclub incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, 8 June.
The New Zealander also confirmed England director of cricket Rob Key has visited Stokes this week.
Stokes returned to action for Durham against Northamptonshire in the County Championship and on Saturday struck 95, his highest score in any cricket since last July.
But Stokes and Atkinson, who was playing for Surrey at Glamorgan, were withdrawn from their matches on Sunday in order to be ready to play in the third Test, beginning on Thursday.
McCullum said "everyone is excited" about Stokes' returning "especially after seeing him hit some form for Durham",
"I've been speaking to Ben every single day since we had the incident and my assessment was that I was worried about him," he added.
"To see him go out there and play some cricket and look like he was enjoying himself is really positive.
"I'm not going to divulge our conversations because they are confidential but it's great to see him back playing and I look forward to seeing him in a couple of days."
When McCullum spoke to the media two days before the second Test at The Oval, he repeatedly spoke of his "worry" and "concern" for Stokes.
McCullum then saw an inexperienced England team beaten by 253 runs to leave the series level at 1-1, setting up a decider in Nottingham.
And, speaking after defeat on the final day at The Oval, McCullum said the episode had been an "unwelcome distraction".
McCullum added: "Everyone acknowledges that what unfolded wasn't ideal.
"We're working through that process and we'll get to a stage that when we arrive at Trent Bridge we'll be able to pick from a full squad.
"You've always got to navigate through certain things and this is just another example.
"We'll let this one land a little bit, then start to plot and plan our way towards Trent Bridge. We have the opportunity to win a series against a very good New Zealand side."