Ben Stokes: England head coach Brendon McCullum denies rift as he praises returning captain ahead of third Test vs New Zealand

England head coach Brendon McCullum has described Ben Stokes' state of mind as "outstanding" and insisted his relationship with the Test captain remains intact after a challenging fortnight.

A week after saying he was "worried" about Stokes following his one-match suspension during an ECB investigation into a nightclub incident also involving Gus Atkinson after a team curfew breach, McCullum lauded the "fantastic" all-rounder ahead of his return to the captaincy for the third and deciding Test against New Zealand.

Stokes and Atkinson were both cleared by the Cricket Regulator following investigations.

McCullum also defended the pair's working relationship, stating that Stokes has "no idea" where rumours of a rift between the pair had stemmed from.

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"[Stokes and Atkinson] are good," said McCullum ahead of the team's training session at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. "They're actually really good. Ben's great, I had a good catch up with him this morning. We spent a good hour and a bit talking, and he's outstanding actually.

"To my assessment, he looks fantastic. He's ready to go and excited about the week. From our point of view, it's nice to have the band back together.

"My assessment was that I was slightly concerned, worried, now my assessment is that he looks great and he's ready to go."

England lost the second Test to New Zealand by 253 runs in the absence of Stokes and Atkinson, setting up the deciding third Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday live on Sky Sports.

McCullum denies strained relationship with 'good friend' Stokes

Durham chief executive Tim Bostock said Stokes' county colleagues were "bemused" by McCullum's previous comments around Stokes' wellbeing as the all-rounder scored 95 off 118 balls alongside taking a wicket against Northamptonshire in the County Championship during his England absence.

McCullum, though, maintains any reports of a strain in their relationship are baseless.

"We talked about [reports of a strain] this morning. I said 'do you know where this has come from, the conversation about our relationship the last six months?', and he said 'I have no idea'," the England head coach said.

"I said to him 'as far as I'm concerned, I consider you a good friend'. We've been through a lot together as a working pair in leadership positions in English cricket. We both want the best for English cricket and we're crystal clear on the direction we want this team to take.

"There's going to be times where we discuss and debate things. We make decisions together - one will have to concede at times and vice-versa.

"We are good friends, we work very well together - it's been a privilege for me to work in close conditions and form a partnership alongside Ben, and I look back on that fondly on how tight we were as a group and as a pair. Anything that's outside is not our concern."

McCullum: Enjoy yourself, but excess is not what we're after

Stokes and Atkinson were cleared of charges relating to the nightclub incident by the ECB and independent Cricket Regulator, but both players were still found to in breach of "contractual obligations" by forgoing the team's midnight curfew.

"We've spoken a lot about the curfew," added McCullum. "From our point of view, there is a very well-documented point around the curfew but also our standards, and our protocols.

"We've made this very clear now. I've been strong throughout that I want these guys to enjoy themselves. It's a lot of pressure, this job and it's a 12-month-a-year job, and there's a natural rhythm to touring, which is different to most sports.

"You still need to be able to enjoy yourself but also be able to make good decisions at the right time. Time and a place is important to enjoy yourself, and we'll always encourage that, but excess is not what we're after.

"When mistakes are made, we need to make sure we iron them out, and we need to make sure we move on as a team after."

England vs New Zealand results and schedule

All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports

• First Test (Lord's) - England won by 115 runs
• Second Test (The Kia Oval) - New Zealand won by 253 runs
• Third Test (Trent Bridge) - June 25-29 (11am)

Watch the third Test between England and New Zealand, at Trent Bridge, live from 10am on Thursday (11am first ball) on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. Get instant access with NOW.

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