Campbell says Stokes remains positive amid England captaincy uncertainty

Ben Stokes’ future as England Test captain remains uncertain after head coach Brendon McCullum declined to provide assurances when addressing the media on Monday.

However, Stokes continues to have the full support of Campbell, who has been critical of the level of scrutiny directed at the player since news of the incident at a London nightclub emerged last week.

“Ben knows he made a mistake and broke the curfew, but some of the reaction has been a little excessive,” Campbell said.

“I’m a bit old school. I like having a beer after a game of cricket if you have 10 days off, but I’m not the coach and I don’t run that system.”

Stokes featured in two county matches for Durham before the New Zealand series, and Campbell has already indicated he has a “75% chance” of playing against Northants.

With his availability for the third Test at Trent Bridge, beginning on 25 June, still unclear, the four-day Championship fixture could be Stokes’ final red-ball appearance before England’s Test series against Pakistan in mid-August.

“Ben is a competitor and he loves playing cricket. He wants to be out there,” Campbell said. “He has accepted responsibility and admitted he made a mistake.

“From what I’ve seen, he is in good spirits, he is back in training and working hard, and the rest will take care of itself.”

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