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McCullum insists no rift with Stokes as captain returns for New Zealand series decider

The Guardian UK Tuesday 23 June 2026, 15:58 UTC By Ali Martin at Trent Bridge 1 min read
Key Points

Pair had long talk before training session at Trent BridgeAtkinson, Smith and Bashir also return to starting XIBen Stokes returned to the England set-up on Tuesday following talks with Brendon McCullum before training. The last fortnight, McCullum said afterwards, was essentially a “blip” and they are still “very aligned” ahead of a third Test against New Zealand that could decide the future of their working relationship. The fact that the head coach and captain felt the need to clear the...

  • Pair had long talk before training session at Trent Bridge

  • Atkinson, Smith and Bashir also return to starting XI

Ben Stokes returned to the England set-up on Tuesday following talks with Brendon McCullum before training. The last fortnight, McCullum said afterwards, was essentially a “blip” and they are still “very aligned” ahead of a third Test against New Zealand that could decide the future of their working relationship.

The fact that the head coach and captain felt the need to clear the air ahead of nets shows how much the temperature had risen around this England team. Stokes, Gus Atkinson, and the late night after Lord’s that saw them stood down before the 253-run defeat at the Oval, has put the leadership under pressure.

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McCullum (PERSON) Stokes (PERSON) New Zealand (LOCATION) Trent BridgeAtkinson (PERSON) Smith (ORG) Bashir (PERSON) XIBen Stokes (PERSON) England (LOCATION) Brendon McCullum (PERSON) Gus Atkinson (PERSON) Lord (PERSON) the Oval (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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