NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Ben Stokes refused to give assurances on his long-term future as England cricket captain after his latest disciplinary controversy, saying Wednesday his full focus was on the deciding test of the series against New Zealand.
Commenting publicly for the first time since being dropped pending an investigation into an incident at a nightclub after the first test, Stokes didn’t go into details about the controversy or whether he considered giving up the captaincy — or indeed retiring.
The England all-rounder also said he didn’t feel his relationship with coach Brendon McCullum had deteriorated as a result of the events of the past two weeks.
Instead, Stokes played a straight bat at most questions in a 15-minute news conference, explaining he wasn’t looking beyond the third and final test against New Zealand starting Thursday at Trent Bridge.
“I’m focusing on this week,” he said. “This has been something that has happened and has obviously taken a lot of attention away from the series. But I want to make sure that my focus is where it needs to be.
“Right now, my focus is on the team, on the series. We’re 1-1 in a three-match series. This week is massive for this team, regardless of what’s going on.”
Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson went on a night out after England’s win at Lord’s in the first test, breaking a midnight curfew set by the team after a humiliating Ashes series when players’ professionalism was questioned.
The two players were in a London nightclub when an England team security official was reportedly struck by a rugby player from English club Saracens.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said Stokes and Atkinson “breached specific contractual obligations” and were given a written warning, while the sport’s independent oversight panel — the Cricket Regulator body — said after its investigation that there was “insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred.”
The pair were immediately recalled to an England team reeling from a 253-run loss to the Kiwis in a one-sided second test at The Oval.
Stokes said he found it tough viewing the second test from afar and for putting Joe Root — his good friend who filled in as interim captain — in such a position.
Stokes reportedly apologized to the team on Tuesday.
“Yesterday, the important thing for me as the captain of the team was making sure that I was letting the lads know that I am back properly as the captain of this team,” he said. “I did need to, obviously, say a few things and acknowledge a few things, to the team and the team only.
“And I feel like I voiced those quite well to everyone, and I feel like I’m also letting them know where my concentration is, and it is thoroughly on what we need to do this week.”
Relationship with McCullum hasn’t ‘drifted’
Stokes and McCullum have been close since they took charge in 2022.
Stokes said that hasn’t changed.
“We certainly haven’t drifted apart, as has been the big speculation about it,” he said. “I guess when you do go through some difficult times, you do find another side to a relationship maybe that you never thought you could have. You don’t plan on going through something like this together, in a professional environment.
“But, me and Brendon were talking pretty much every day … maybe in the future, we look back on this and go, you know, this did bring us tighter, this did bring us closer.”
Cheeky response to batting hit with Durham
While England was slumping to defeat in the second test, Stokes was playing for Durham in the county championship.
He hit 95 at a time when his form with the bat was under scrutiny.
“Maybe,” Stokes said with a smile, “being on the front pages for the wrong reasons could be good for my cricket.”
___
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
