Ben Stokes dropped by England for second Test with Joe Root appointed captain

Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been left out of the England squad for the second Test against New Zealand – with Joe Root making a surprise return to captaincy as interim skipper.

Stokes and Atkinson are subject to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigation over an incident in a nightclub after the first Test win at Lord’s, and have been stood down as the series continues at the Oval. All-rounder Stokes is thought to be considering his future as captain.

While Harry Brook has served as Test vice-captain since the start of the Ashes, England have elected to instead install Root in the interim. The batter captained the side between 2017 and 2022, stepping down after a run of one win in 17 Tests before Stokes took over.

Root led England in a record 64 Tests and is the elder statesman of the side. His appointment comes after Brook was himself embroiled in a disciplinary issue during the winter, with the white-ball captain fined by the ECB after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand the night before leading the team in a one-day international (ODI).

Jofra Archer and Jordan Cox have been added to a squad that will assemble ahead of the start of the second Test on Wednesday 17 June.

Archer was absent for the series opener after his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but appears in line to return to England whites after Atkinson’s omission. Cox, meanwhile, is awaiting a Test debut and provides batting cover.

The omission of Stokes and Atkinson had been anticipated after the pair breached the midnight curfew introduced by England after an Ashes campaign overshadowed by incidents off the pitch.

Ben Stokes, left, and Gus Atkinson were involved in a nightclub incident and have been left out of the squad (PA Wire)

Head coach Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, the managing director of men’s cricket, were forced to deny accusations of a drinking culture within the squad, with McCullum promising a “firm grip” on his players ahead of this summer.

The pair are thought to have been involved in an incident with Saracens academy Totoa Auvaa at a Chelsea nightclub in which a member of England’s security staff was reportedly struck.

Their participation in the third match of the series at Trent Bridge later in June appears uncertain. Atkinson took five wickets to seal victory at Lord’s as England went 1-0 up in the series.