England Captain Ben Stokes Ready To Return Vs New Zealand (Image Source: AFP Photos)Recently, England Test captain Ben Stokes found himself in controversy over an incident at a London nightclub. He, along with his countryman Gus Atkinson, broke England’s midnight curfew after an 115-run victory at Lord’s against New Zealand in the first Test of the England’s summer.Both Stokes and Atkinson were there when a Saracens rugby player hit a member of the England security staff, bringing more trouble into their lives.Amid all the chaos, the ECB barred Stokes and Atkinson from England’s XI vs New Zealand in the second Test, which is currently ongoing at The Oval.There were reports and hints that Stokes might even consider retiring from international cricket following the backlash. However, it seems not to be the case, at least for now.Ben Stokes Eyes England Return For 3rd Test Vs New ZealandAs reported by multiple English media outlets, including The Cricketer and The Guardian, among others, Stokes might return to the mix for the national set-up as quickly as the third Test against New Zealand, which will be held at Trent Bridge from June 25 onwards.The Englishman has already been named in Durham’s squad for their County Championship match against Northamptonshire, which is scheduled to begin on Friday (June 19). And now, the return for England will be happening as well.The Guardian reported that the ECB is ‘hopeful’ of seeing Stokes back in the England squad for the third Test against New Zealand. Both head coach Brendon McCullum and ECB’s managing director Rob Key, along with others, are waiting for a report from the Cricket Regulator on Stokes’ actions, and once that is cleared in the next few days, he will be available for selection.Also Read: Brendon McCullum Hints Ben Stokes’ England Retirement After Nightclub IncidentKeeping in mind that the County Championship match for Durham ends on June 22, and the third Test between England and New Zealand begins three days later, it will be interesting to see whether Stokes would play for his county side.Who Is Captaining England In Ben Stokes’ Absence?In the absence of Ben Stokes, the ECB gave Joe Root the captaincy responsibility for the second Test against New Zealand. The England’s legend, who took the reins from Sir Alastair Cook in 2017, decided to give up the national captaincy duties in April 2022.Root had captained England in 64 Tests, the most by any English captain. He won 27 as a leader, the most by any from his country as well.However, things are not going well in Root’s comeback as England captain at The Oval. New Zealand, batting first, made 391 in the first innings, with Glenn Phillips scoring a century. England, in reply, reached 222/6 at stumps on Day 2, with Root making 46 of them.Also Read: Shreyanka Patil Replacement Announced; RCB Star Ruled Out Of Women's T20 World Cup
