ENG vs NZ 2026: No further action against Ben Stokes & Gus Atkinson after Cricket Regulator investigation

England captain Ben Stokes, along with Gus Atkinson, will face no further action after the Cricket Regulator concluded their investigation into the nightclub controversy, having found no breaches of any England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regulations.

After winning the first Test match against New Zealand at Lord’s, the duo broke the team curfew in the early hours of June 8 and were involved in a nightclub kerfuffle with a rugby player. They were subsequently suspended from the second Test after the Cricket Regulator conducted an investigation into the matter. 

The investigation comes to a close days before the commencement of the third Test match, with both Stokes and Atkinson cleared without any further punishments. According to the official statement, the England duo were not deemed to have broken any regulations and are cleared to return to action for their national side. 

“The Cricket Regulator’s role is to determine whether any participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations. The investigation followed multiple lines of enquiry to gather and assess evidence in relation to the events in question. Having carefully reviewed all currently available information, the Cricket Regulator has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish that any regulatory breach occurred. Accordingly, no further action will be taken against either player. The Cricket Regulator would like to thank all those involved for their cooperation throughout the investigation,” the official statement read, via Sky Sport. 

It is worth mentioning that both Stokes and Atkinson were named in England’s squad for the third Test at Trent Bridge, which begins from Thirsday, June 25, before the results of the investigation were made public. The all-rounder returns to the side as captain and will take over the responsibility from Joe Root, who held the position on an interim basis.

With the pair coming back into the side, debutants from the Oval Test, Sonny Baker and James Rew, have been dropped from the side, with the management keeping Jordan Cox and Matt Fisher in the ranks. The side also sees the return of Ollie Robinson, who missed the second Test through injury, and first-choice keeper Jamie Smith, who missed the game at the Oval due to the birth of his second child.