England forced to name interim captain amid ongoing investigation against Ben Stokes

England have been forced to announce Joe Root as their interim captain for the second Test against New Zealand amid the ongoing investigation against their designated captain Ben Stokes. England are leading the three-match Test series 1-0 following their 115-run win at Lord's. The second Test will get underway at The Oval on June 17.

Stokes and Gus Atkinson, who were embroiled in a nightclub incident, were not made available for selection and have not been picked for the second Test. Meanwhile, England have been bolstered by the addition of Jofra Archer, who joins the squad after missing the first Test due to his involvement with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The selectors have also added wicketkeeper batter Jordan Cox to the squad. Cox was also involved in the IPL, but was forced to warm the bench as he couldn't find a place in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) playing combination.

For the unversed, Stokes and Atkinson broke the team curfew and went to a nightclub to celebrate England's win in the first Test at midnight. The pair got into a melee with a Saracens rugby player, Totoa Auvaa.

It is alleged that Auvaa threw a punch at Atkinson, but it landed on a security officer, who was accompanying both Atkinson and Stokes. The England Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Regulator are currently investigating the incident.

England's squad for the second Test vs New Zealand

Joe Root (Yorkshire) - Captain, Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Jordan Cox (Essex), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Emilio Gay (Durham), James Rew (Somerset), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)

New Zealand's tour of England 2026