Joe Root will captain England in the second Test against New Zealand next week after Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad for the Kia Oval.
Current captain Stokes is reportedly considering his future after he and Atkinson were in involved in an 'incident' with Saracens rugby player Totoa Auvaa at a Chelsea nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The England players are currently under a midnight curfew which was brought in by the team management following a tumultuous winter which saw the side heavily beaten in the Ashes amid reports of a heavy drinking culture, not helped by ODI captain Harry Brook having a scuffle with a nightclub bouncer on the preceding tour of New Zealand.
Root, who led the Test team for five years before standing down in 2022, is understood to be viewed as a safe pair of hands to take on the role on a short-term basis, with Brook, who is officially the current Test vice-captain, hardly an ideal choice for next week in particular given his recent history.
Jofra Archer, who missed the first Test following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League, returns to the squad along with Jordan Cox. Somerset batsman James Rew retains his place and could be in line to debut in the middle order in place of Stokes.
England squad for the second Test against 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)
