Ben Stokes, who was made unavailable for the ongoing second Test for England against New Zealand at the Oval, owing to an ongoing investigation into a nightclub incident that took place in the aftermath of the team’s win in the first Test at Lord’s, is all set to return to action. The England all-rounder has been picked in the Durham squad for their home match against Northamptonshire in Chester-le-Street beginning Friday (June 19) in the County Championship.
After the Lord’s Test, Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson had violated England’s new curfew rule to go to Chelsea nightclub, where they were allegedly involved in a melee. The incident also involved Saracens Rugby Club player Totoa Auvaa, who reportedly punched an ECB security officer accompanying Stokes and Atkinson, and he required stitches.
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ECB has yet to announce an official verdict, with the investigation into the matter still ongoing; however, the two were made unavailable for the second Test against New Zealand.
This will be Stokes’ third appearance for Durham this season, and the game will run parallel with the ongoing Oval Test, where Joe Root has been named as the interim skipper.
The development came after Director of Cricket Rob Key and head coach Brendon McCullum remained non-committal about his future.
Durham, led by Alex Less, stands top of the table in Division Two after scripting an unbeaten run this season in seven matches. They have 126 points in the County Championship.
Stokes returned to training for Durham after the ECB cleared him to play for the club.
“Ben is a competitor and he loves to play and he wants to play,” Durham coach Ryan Campbell told the BBC. “He put his hand up and said he made a mistake. From what I’ve seen, he’s in good spirits, he’s back in training, working hard and the rest will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, Atkinson is available for Surrey’s match against Glamorgan.