The China Mail - Stokes set for England return in New Zealand finale - reports

Stokes and England team-mate Gus Atkinson were both stood down from the ongoing second Test at the Oval after breaking a team curfew following the hosts' win in the series opener at Lord's.

That decision led to a flurry of speculation over his international future amid concerns the 35-year-old all-rounder might be stripped of the England captaincy, stand down by himself or even walk away from representing his country permanently.

But both the BBC and Britain's Press Association news agency reported Thursday that Stokes could rejoin the England squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand at Nottingham's Trent Bridge as inquiries by both the England and Wales Cricket Board and the independent Cricket Regulator head towards a conclusion.

Stokes has been England captain for the past four years.

His close friend and predecessor Joe Root has stepped back into the role at the Oval but made it clear he was doing so merely on a "game-by-game basis".

Stokes is set to return to senior cricket action on Friday as a member of the Durham side playing Northamptonshire in a Second Division County Championship at Chester-le-Street.

His lone public comment since the ECB acknowledged the curfew breach has been to wish England and their three debutants at the Oval well in a brief Instagram message.

England coach Brendon McCullum appeared to raise concerns over Stokes's mental wellbeing in a pre-Test press conference, where he repeatedly voiced "worry" and "concern" for his absent captain.

- 'Good spirits' -

But Durham coach Ryan Campbell, having recently worked alongside Stokes in the nets, had a different view, telling the BBC: "Ben knows he made a mistake and broke the curfew, but some of the reaction has been a little over (the top).

"From what I've seen, he's in good spirits, he's back in training, working hard and the rest will take care of itself.

"Ben is a competitor and he loves to play and he wants to play."

England great Ian Botham earlier suggested Stokes might decide to quit cricket completely should he be removed from the role of Test captain.

"It wouldn't surprise me, if Ben did lose the captaincy, he probably might walk away from the game, but I just don't know," Botham told the Overlap podcast's Stick to Cricket show.

England faced allegations of a drinking culture during a woeful 4-1 series loss in Australia during the 2025/26 Ashes.

Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington ahead of a one-day international against New Zealand.

As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff, with the 70-year-old Botham, one of the outstanding all-rounders of his generation, saying there was no defence for this latest incident.

"Some people just don't learn, do they?", he added. "I really can't see how you can justify what happened after the game."

D.Pan--ThChM