Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson dropped as England make surprise captain decision

England captain Ben Stokes has been left out of the squad for the second Test against New Zealand.

The England skipper and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were involved in an incident in a London nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning.

Saracens academy rugby union player Totoa Auvaa is alleged to have assaulted a member of England's security staff after Stokes and Atkinson broke the team's midnight curfew between the first and second Tests.

It was reported after the incident, in which Atkinson is believed to have been the target of a wayward punch, that Stokes was considering his position as England's Test captain.

Both players have been left out of the squad for the second Test, which will be played at the Oval and begins on June 17.

"Pace bowler Jofra Archer and batter Jordan Cox have been added to the squad that won the first Test at Lord's," reports BBC Sport.

England won the first Test of the summer series by 115 runs last week.

Atkinson took 5 for 30 in New Zealand's second innings, with Stokes dismissing opener Devon Conway for 41 runs.

In a statement issued on Monday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: "Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.

"We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

"The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible."

The curfew was put in place after one-day captain Harry Brook was punched by a doorman outside a nightclub in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against the Black Caps in October 2025, his first overseas international match as captain.

Joe Root returns as captain

Yorkshire middle-order batsman Brook was expected by many to step up as interim Test captain in Stokes' absence but has been overlooked in favour of county teammate and former England skipper Joe Root.

35-year-old Root has been drafted in as interim skipper four years after resigning as England captain.

The second Test at the Oval will be his 65th as Test skipper, a role he fulfilled for five years after taking over from Alastair Cook.

Root holds the record for the most Test matches as England captain and is his country's all-time leading run-scorer.