The England cricket team has decided to omit Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson from their squad for the upcoming second Test against New Zealand, scheduled to be played at The Kia Oval. Joe Root will step in as the interim captain for this match.
This decision comes as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) continues its investigation into an incident that occurred at a Chelsea nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning. Notably, vice-captain Harry Brook has not been handed the leadership role for this fixture, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Stokes, the regular England skipper, and Atkinson, who impressed with a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the first Test at Lord's, have been replaced in the 15-man squad by Jofra Archer and Jordan Cox. Root previously led the Test team for a record 64 matches between 2017 and 2022, before Stokes took over the captaincy.
Both Stokes and Atkinson are under investigation for violating team protocols after being present at a nightclub on Monday, following England's victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's. This marks the second instance in recent months where England players have faced scrutiny for their off-field behavior. Earlier, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell were also investigated for partying and allegedly being intoxicated during the team's trip to Noosa after two heavy defeats to Australia in the Ashes last year.
The England Test squad for the second Test is as follows: Joe Root (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), and Josh Tongue.
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