McCullum confused by stories of rift as Stokes returns

Head coach Brendon McCullum said he remains "good friends" with England captain Ben Stokes and the pair have "no idea" why rumours of a rift have emerged.

The pair reunited on Tuesday for England's crucial deciding Test against New Zealand after Stokes missed the second following an incident in a London nightclub.

Both McCullum and Stokes had previously denied their relationship was strained during the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, and McCullum has faced questions about their partnership during Stokes' absence.

At Trent Bridge, two days before the third Test against New Zealand, McCullum revealed the pair spoke face-to-face on Tuesday morning.

"I said: 'Do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?'" explained McCullum.

"He said: 'No, I have no idea.' I said to him: 'As far I'm concerned, I consider you a good friend.'"

Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for England's heavy defeat in the second Test during an investigation into a breach of the team's midnight curfew following victory in the first Test at Lord's.

They were present when a member of England security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

Both have been cleared to rejoin the England squad for the third Test, with Stokes returning as captain.

Two days before the second Test at The Oval, McCullum gave a sombre media conference, when he repeatedly spoke of his "worry" and "concern" for Stokes.

However, Durham's county head coach Ryan Campbell later said Stokes was in "good spirits" and the county's chief executive Tim Bostock said he was "bemused" by McCullum's comments.

On Tuesday, McCullum said: "My assessment was that I was slightly concerned, worried, now my assessment is that he looks great and is ready to go.

"He looks fantastic, he looks ready to go, he's enthusiastic about the week and obviously from our point of view it's nice to have the band back together.

"It's been a real privilege for me over the past four years to work in intimate detail and as a partnership alongside Ben. I look back on that fondly about how tight we were as a group and how tight we were as a pair. Anything outside of that, it's not really up to us. Ben and I are tight."

England trained in Nottingham on Tuesday afternoon, a session that began with Stokes and McCullum embracing. They were engaged in discussions with selector Marcus North, with England due to name their team later in the day.

In his absence from the England team, Stokes played two days of Durham's County Championship match against Northamptonshire.

The 35-year-old's score of 95 at Chester-le-Street was his highest in any cricket since last July.

"I thought he batted brilliantly," said McCullum. "He actually texted me saying 'have you seen the highlights?'

"I said I had, and he said: 'I'm back.'"

Following the events surrounding the defeat at The Oval, England once again find themselves under pressure for their results on the pitch and conduct off it.

Stokes, McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key were all backed following the hammering in Australia.

However, sitting level with New Zealand at 1-1 after two matches, England are at risk of losing another series – they have won only two of their past nine Tests.

A series defeat against the Kiwis would be only their second at home since 2014 – also a loss to New Zealand, in 2021. England have not lost a home series of at least three Tests since they were beaten by South Africa 14 years ago.

"Anyone can lead when it's easy," said McCullum. "The true account of a leader or leadership group is to be able to lead when times are difficult.

"I remember talking to Eoin Morgan after 2015 World Cup, and you know how close I am with him. He came to me and asked me: 'What do you think I should do?'

"I said: 'Tough times don't last, but tough blokes do.' And I think it's no different - you've got to be prepared to go through some tough times knowing that if you're able to navigate through that, and hold the fort and hold your nerve, then there's some good stuff to come."

McCullum again addressed the terms of England's midnight curfew, after admitting to some "ambiguity" in the aftermath of the defeat at The Oval.

The curfew was introduced following several off-field controversies during the Ashes.

Though the incident involving Stokes and Atkinson took place after the first Test had ended, England said the curfew was still in place.

However, Key revealed Atkinson claimed to not know it was in operation.

"It's very well documented now the point around not just the curfew but our standards around protocols and all those sorts of things," said McCullum.

"Time and place is important to be able to enjoy yourself and we'll always try to encourage that.

"But excess is not what we're after and when mistakes are made you need to make sure you iron them out and then we move forward as a team. That's where we're at at the moment."

What a difference a week makes.

Before the second Test at The Oval, the mood in Brendon McCullum's media conference was funereal. He declined numerous opportunities to back Ben Stokes as an England player and captain and the "worry and concern" comments sparked all manner of conspiracy theories.

At Trent Bridge, McCullum was upbeat, talking about his "good friend" Stokes and how they had "got the band back together".

The New Zealander revealed he had spoken to Stokes for more than an hour on Tuesday morning, then said Stokes would be addressing his team before training.

When England took to the field, McCullum made a beeline straight to Stokes, and the pair shared a brief embrace. From there, it was business as usual.

Stokes will speak to the media on Wednesday, the first time he has spoken publicly since straight after the win at Lord's. Back then, he said how he couldn't wait to have a celebratory beer with his team-mates, and what followed was a fortnight of controversy for English cricket.

In that time, England surrendered their series lead over New Zealand and now face a must-win decider. The atmosphere was relaxed on Tuesday. It will not be if England lose this deciding Test.