Daijiworld Media Network - Nottingham

Nottingham, Jun 24: England captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he apologised to his teammates after returning to the squad for the decisive third Test against New Zealand, admitting that the off-field controversy involving himself and fast bowler Gus Atkinson had negatively affected the team.

Stokes and Atkinson missed the second Test after being temporarily stood down while an investigation was conducted into an alleged breach of the team's midnight curfew following England's victory in the opening match of the series.

Although both players were cleared of any violent behaviour, a disciplinary inquiry concluded that they had violated contractual obligations and issued them formal written warnings.

Speaking ahead of the third Test at Trent Bridge, Stokes said addressing the dressing room and acknowledging the impact of the incident was one of his first priorities upon rejoining the squad.

“That was one of the first things I had to do as captain,” Stokes told reporters.

He admitted the controversy affected not only him but also several members of the team, particularly players making their Test debuts during the second match.

“It affected Joe, it affected the squad, and it affected people outside the playing environment. It undoubtedly had an impact on the players making their debut. That day should have been entirely about them, but unfortunately a situation beyond their control overshadowed one of the biggest moments of their careers,” he said.

With Stokes unavailable, Joe Root led a reshuffled England side that included debutants Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox and James Rew.

England suffered a heavy 253-run defeat, allowing New Zealand to level the three-match series at 1-1.

Stokes said leadership requires accepting responsibility during difficult moments and addressing mistakes openly.

“It would be foolish and naive not to acknowledge what happened and address it. It's easy when everything is going well, but leadership also means taking responsibility when things go wrong,” he said.

“If you are the person who needs to accept that responsibility, you have to be mature enough to stand before everyone, look them in the eye and apologise in the way you need to. That's exactly what I did.”

The episode also sparked speculation about Stokes' relationship with England head coach Brendon McCullum, but both have dismissed suggestions of any tension between them.

Stokes said the experience may ultimately strengthen their partnership.

“You don't plan on going through situations like this in a professional environment. Brendon and I were speaking almost every day during the initial period,” he said.

“Perhaps in the future we'll look back on this and say it actually brought us closer together. There hasn't been any drifting apart.”

With the series tied at 1-1 and one match remaining, Stokes said both he and Atkinson are now fully focused on helping England secure victory in the final Test.

“The most important thing about Gus and me being back is concentrating on the cricket this week,” he said.

“The series is level at 1-1, there is one game left, and the result of this match is the only thing we need to focus on.”