Ben Stokes returned to the England set-up on Tuesday following a long discussion with head coach Brendon McCullum before training. McCullum described the recent tension as a "blip" and insisted the pair remain "very aligned" ahead of the third Test against New Zealand, a match that could determine the future of their working relationship.
McCullum dismisses rift speculation
McCullum and Stokes spoke for "an hour and a bit" at Trent Bridge, clearing the air after a period of scrutiny. The head coach kept the details private but shared that both were confused by suggestions of a rift. "I had a good catch-up with him and he was outstanding actually," McCullum said. "He looks fantastic, he looks ready to go, he’s enthusiastic about the week."
On their relationship, McCullum added: "I said 'do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?' He said 'no, I have no idea'. I said to him 'as far as I’m concerned, I consider you a good friend'. We are good friends, we work very well together. It’s been a real privilege for me over the past four years to work in intimate detail and as a partnership alongside Ben. I look back on that fondly about how tight we were as a group and as a pair. Anything outside of that, it’s not really up to us. Ben and I are tight."
Pressure mounts after Lord's controversy
The need for talks highlighted the rising temperature around the England team. Stokes, Gus Atkinson, and a late night after Lord's led to them being stood down before the 253-run defeat at the Oval, putting the leadership under pressure. McCullum acknowledged the situation, saying: "Everyone that’s seen Ben over the course of his captaincy and worked with him intimately has an immense amount of respect for him, myself included. One blemish doesn’t ruin all of that. It’s just a slight blip, then you move on."
Stokes returns to form with county innings
Stokes turned out for Durham against Northamptonshire last week, scoring 95 from 118 balls with 18 fours. McCullum noted: "He actually texted me saying 'have you seen the highlights?' I said I had, and he said 'I’m back'. I thought he played brilliantly, with a lot of oomph. A fit, firing Ben Stokes executing his disciplines across all three facets is an asset any team in the world would be desperate to have."
England XI for Trent Bridge includes four changes
Stokes and Atkinson return to the XI for the series decider, with four changes from the Oval defeat. Shoaib Bashir comes in as frontline spinner, Jamie Smith returns from paternity leave, while Sonny Baker, James Rew, Matthew Fisher, and Jordan Cox are dropped. The England XI is: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (cpt), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir. McCullum said: "This week is an opportunity for us to play as one and show everyone who supports us just how much it means to represent this country."
