McCullum worried for Stokes as coach gives no captaincy backing

Head coach Brendon McCullum refused to be drawn on Ben Stokes' future as England captain but repeatedly spoke of his "worry and concern" for the all-rounder.

Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson have been made unavailable for the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub last week.

Not only is it the latest controversy to hit this England team, it is another chapter in the storied career of 35-year-old Stokes.

One of England's greatest cricketers of all time, Stokes was cleared of charges of affray following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017. In 2021, he took a break from cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing.

"Our concern is with Ben, our concern is handling that situation, making sure we look after him, that he feels supported by us and in communication with us," said McCullum.

In celebrating the opening Test victory over New Zealand at Lord's, Stokes and Atkinson broke the England team's midnight curfew. They were present when a member of England security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

Both will miss the second Test at The Oval, for which England have made four changes to their XI. Joe Root will deputise for Stokes as captain, with Jofra Archer, Matthew Fisher and uncapped pair Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox coming into the team.

Last week, director of cricket Rob Key said he could see no reason why Stokes would not play for England again, but stopped short of endorsing him as captain.