England captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson have been cleared of any wrongdoing after an investigation by the Cricket Regulator found that they had not breached any ECB regulations. The pair were stood down from the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval after breaching a team curfew at a nightclub in Chelsea.
The Cricket Regulator, the body responsible for monitoring compliance with the game's regulations, conducted a separate investigation but found that there was insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred. As a result, no further action will be taken against either player.
The England Test captain is due to speak to the press on Wednesday for the first time since the events of a fortnight ago, before skippering the side in Nottingham. He and Atkinson featured for Durham and Surrey respectively in the latest round of County Championship fixtures, with the all-rounder making 95 with the bat before being withdrawn ahead of his England return.
England head coach Brendon McCullum expressed his confidence in Stokes' ability to return as captain, stating that 'Ben will be back and he'll be captain. Everyone's excited about that.' McCullum also acknowledged the importance of addressing mistakes and moving forward, saying 'you can't walk past when standards have slipped or mistakes have been made. You address it and you try to move on.'