The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has removed Ben Stokes from the squad for the second Test against New Zealand, following an ongoing investigation into an alleged nightclub incident and reported breach of team curfew regulations. In a swift leadership change, Joe Root has been appointed as captain for the upcoming match.
The decision comes amid disciplinary concerns surrounding Stokes, with the ECB confirming that the matter is under review as the team looks to maintain focus during the series.
Gus Atkinson has also been dropped from the squad for the second Test of the series against New Zealand, which begins on Wednesday.
According to the ECB, Jofra Archer and Jordan Cox have been included in the squad for the second match.
Read more: Nightclub incident puts Ben Stokes’ captaincy and future in doubt. It should be mentioned here that former England captain Michael Vaughan previously said that Ben Stokes should not be removed from the captaincy.
Michael Vaughan stated that Stokes should not lose the captaincy as a consequence of the nightclub incident.
It is worth mentioning here that England secured a dominant 115-run victory over New Zealand at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, marking their record 150th Test win.
Chasing a target of 254, New Zealand were bowled out for 138 in their second innings. Glenn Phillips top-scored with 44, while Devon Conway contributed 41, as the visitors struggled to build sustained partnerships. Notably, eight New Zealand batters failed to reach double figures, underlining England’s disciplined bowling performance.
The win adds another milestone to England’s Test cricket history, achieved on one of the sport’s most iconic grounds. England posted 140 in their first innings and 226 in the second to set up the win.
England squad:
Joe Root (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio, James Reeve, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, and Josh Tongue.
Read more: PSL expansion boosts PCB revenue as profits soar to Rs 7.5b in 2026
