sports
Returning England captain Stokes and McCullum clear the air after ‘slight blip’
Pair had long talk before training session at Trent Bridge
TL;DR
- Ben Stokes has returned to the England squad after a conversation with head coach Brendon McCullum.
- McCullum described the recent events involving Stokes and Atkinson as a 'blip' and stated they remain 'very aligned'.
- The coach and captain spoke for over an hour before training to clear the air regarding reports of a rift.
- Stokes and Atkinson are included in the XI for the third Test against New Zealand, which is a series decider.
- Four changes have been made to the squad, with Shoaib Bashir returning as the frontline spinner and Jamie Smith returning to keep wicket.