England have been given a much-needed boost ahead of the big match against New Zealand in the Test, having seen Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson cleared of any wrong-doing after a disciplinary inquiry.
The Cricket Regulator has ruled there are no further sanctions to be imposed on the pair following evidence of a “tangential” incident outside the stadium soon after England won the first Test of the series. After careful consideration, the school board determined that no evidence exists that would support any additional discipline.
The move effectively puts an end to the cloud hanging over two England key players. Neither of them were in the second Test but during the deliberations, there was a lot of speculation on their future in the international arena.
The results showed that no player was found guilty of violent acts. During the process, evidence reportedly revealed that Stokes was not directly involved in the confrontation, and that Atkinson did not respond aggressively to the confrontation despite being involved.
The pair were not subject to any further penalties but the review did reveal instances of failure to meet expectations of team conduct. Consequently, both players got formal warnings and were losing a selection-related penalty for being unavailable for the second Test.
Their absence was felt by England. Miracle came with the arrival of a number of senior players in the second game of the series and the hosts were battered, giving New Zealand a chance to even the series. The final Test would be a winner takes all match.
Both cricketers briefly made a return to county cricket before being pulled up to the national team, and performed well in both their areas of activity. Stokes made an important contribution with the baton for Durham and Atkinson was also impressive with the ball for Surrey, demonstrating his potential to excel at international level.
This is a huge blow to the England selectors at an important time of the series. Stokes is a welcome addition and will bring a lot of experience and balance to the squad ahead of the crucial Test against Atkinson.
The debate is over and the game of cricket can resume. England and New Zealand enter the final Test with the series deadlocked, and it will be a big clash as both teams seek to emerge victorious.
With two key players back, England have hope of finding the edge to turn things around and win the series.