Brendon McCullum concerned for Ben Stokes after England captain dropped

Stokes and Gus Atkinson left out for Oval Test after curfew breach

McCullum speaking to Stokes daily, not pushing him to return to cricket

England head coach Brendon McCullum has voiced concerns about the wellbeing of Ben Stokes, with the absent captain casting a long shadow over preparations for this week’s Test against New Zealand.

Stokes was left out of the squad at the Kia Oval after he and seamer Gus Atkinson breached a midnight curfew following the series opener at Lord’s, with an incident involving Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa attracting an internal investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board.