Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum [Source: AFP]Ben Stokes has firmly rejected talk of a strained relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum following his suspension for a curfew breach. Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson missed England’s heavy second-Test defeat to New Zealand after an incident at a nightclub. An ECB investigation later cleared both players of any wrongdoing in the scuffles, though they received written conduct warnings. Both have been recalled for the decisive third Test at Trent Bridge. Speaking publicly for the first time since the episode, Ben Stokes described his relationship with McCullum beyond their professional roles.Nightclub Incident and Investigation Result for Stokes And AtkinsonThe episode occurred in the early hours of Monday June 8, a day after England’s 115-run victory at Lord’s. Stokes and Atkinson had breached team curfew rules by visiting a nightclub, where scuffles took place. The ECB launched an investigation, and both players were made unavailable for the second Test at The Oval, which England lost by 253 runs under Joe Root’s captaincy. A disciplinary process found no blame attached to the players for the altercations. The Cricket Regulator stated that Atkinson was the “victim of unproven attacks and did not retaliate,” while Stokes was not involved in, and did not witness, any altercations. Ben Stokes Shares Final Verdict On Brendon McCullum BondBen directly addressed suggestions that the suspension had damaged his relationship with McCullum. “There’s been a big misconception around me and Brendon. Me and Brendon McCullum have a professional relationship in terms of him being head coach and me being captain, and then we’ve also got a relationship away from that. We genuinely are very good mates, and have built a rapport away from cricket,” Stokes shared. He acknowledged that they do not always see eye to eye, yet he dismissed the idea that disagreements pointed to a split. “Not agreeing on everything shouldn’t be seen as a divide between me and Brendon. You are allowed to disagree and have discussions. Our relationship goes beyond me being captain and him head coach.”Also Read- SRK Factor In Hardik Pandya’s KKR Trade RevealedOn McCullum’s earlier public expressions of concern, Stokes defended his coach. “Friends care for each other, don’t they? … I think just give Brendon a break on all that. It was a hard thing for him to do to come up here and speak about that, I’m sure. I knew what he was meaning. He cares about me, he cares about members of that team as well.”Difficult Times Brought Ben Stokes-McCullum CloserWhen asked if the entire episode could actually draw the pair nearer, Ben Stokes reflected on how tough moments can reveal a different dimension to a friendship. “It’s a good question that [are you closer to McCullum?]. We certainly haven’t drifted apart. There’s been big speculation about it. I guess when you do go through difficult times, you do find a different side to a relationship, maybe, than you never thought you could have.” He revealed the two stayed in constant contact during the suspension. “Me and Brendon were talking pretty much every day, especially in the initial period. When the game started, Baz concentrated on the team as he needed to.” Ben Stokes added that they might one day look back at this chapter as something that brought them together. “But this ‘rift’ and ‘drifting apart,’ that’s certainly not the case.”Stokes More Focused For ENG vs NZ 3rd TestStokes made it clear that the only priority now is the third Test, with the series tied at 1-1. He stressed the importance of shifting the attention back to the on-field contest. “The big thing about Gus and me coming back is to ensure what is the most important thing. It is 1-1 in the series, and the importance of this result is what we will be concentrating on.” England will face New Zealand in the final Test on Thursday, with Ben Stokes back leading the side and Atkinson rejoining the bowling attack.Also Read- New Zealand Lose Key Player Before Series Decider vs England
