Head coach Brendon McCullum revealed Ben Stokes is all set to return as England captain for next week's third Test against New Zealand after the home team suffered a crushing 253-run defeat in the second match.
Stokes was stood down from the Oval Test pending the results of an disciplinary investigation into a breach of team protocols in the early hours of June 8.
He instead turned out for Durham, scoring a rapid 95 on day two of their county championship clash against Northamptonshire on Saturday.
But on Sunday morning both Stokes and Gus Atkinson, also left out following his part in the breach of curfew, were removed from their respective county matches by England pending a recall.
And after England suffered a comprehensive 253-run loss to the Kiwis, McCullum said Stokes is ready to return for the third Test in Nottingham.
“Ben will be back. He'll be back and he'll be captain,” McCullum said.
“I think everyone is excited about that, especially after seeing him hit some form for Durham. I've been speaking to Ben every single day since we had the incident and my assessment was that I was worried about him. To see him go out there and play some cricket and look like he was enjoying himself is really positive.
“I'm not going to divulge our conversations because they are confidential but it's great to see him back playing and I look forward to seeing him in a couple of days.”
England hope the return of Stokes will help turn the team's fortunes around.
Pacer Matt Henry produced New Zealand's best ever bowling figures against England on their soil with five wickets to wrap up a big win in the second Test to level the series 1-1.
Starting the fifth day on 182-5 chasing a huge 463 for an unlikely victory, England folded inside 50 minutes and were all out for 209.
Henry took all five wickets in the morning, beginning with the crucial scalp of Joe Root lbw for 77 with the first ball of his second over of the day. Root added only two runs to his overnight score.
Two balls later he flattened Jofra Archer's middle stump with an unplayable ball that remained low.
Continuing to torment England, in his next over he had Matthew Fisher chopping on to his stumps without scoring and with his next ball he had Josh Tongue edging to Daryl Mitchell.
Henry then finished it off in style by bowling Jordan Cox with an inswinging yorker to finish the innings with 6-29 and take his match figures to 11-109 – the best display by a New Zealand bowler against England.
“Didn't expect it to unfold like that, but it saved a hot day in the field,” said man of the match Henry, who suffered a back spasm in the defeat at Lord's in the first Test.
“The way the guys applied themselves with the ball was relentless.”
