Durham have announced their squad for the 8th match of the County Championship 2026 season against Northamptonshire in Chester-le-Street beginning June 19. The 15-member team features currently suspended and under-investigation England Test captain Ben Stokes.
The all-rounder, alongside Surrey’s Gus Atkinson, is under investigation from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Regulator for bringing the game into disrepute after the duo were involved in a nightclub incident where their security detail was punched and required stitches.
Ben Stokes back in action
Stokes and Atkinson had broken the midnight curfew placed on England after the 2025-26 Ashes tour of Australia. Subsequently, both were released from England’s squad for the second New Zealand Test at The Oval, with Joe Root replacing Stokes as captain and Jofra Archer returning for Atkinson.
There were rumours that Stokes was considering retiring from cricket after the ECB wasn’t too keen on handing the captaincy back to him. Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, and England head coach Brendon McCullum haven’t confirmed the possibility of Stokes returning as captain, and Root might continue as skipper after the New Zealand series.
However, he trained with Durham earlier in the week and has now been named in the squad. Stokes had featured for his County side against Worcestershire and Kent in May. Atkinson, who played two games for Surrey before the England vs New Zealand Test series, is expected to turn up against Glamorgan in Cardiff.
“Ben is a competitor. He loves to play and wants to play. He put his hand up and said he made a mistake. From what I’ve seen, he’s in good spirits. He’s back in training, working hard, and the rest will take care of itself,” Durham head coach Ryan Campbell had told the BBC on June 16.
Durham squad for Northamptonshire match
Colin Ackermann, Kasey Aldridge, David Bedingham, Graham Clark, Alex Lees, Ben McKinney, James Minto, Duanne Olivier, Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Will Rhodes, Luke Robinson, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes
