England head coach Brendon McCullum has moved to dismiss speculation of a rift with captain Ben Stokes, insisting their relationship remains as strong as ever despite recent off-field controversy involving the England skipper. Questions over the pair’s relationship emerged after Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval while the ECB investigated an alleged breach of the team’s curfew rules following England’s victory at Lord’s.

Both players have since been cleared to return and are available for the series-deciding third Test at Trent Bridge. Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, McCullum revealed he had spent more than an hour in conversation with Stokes on Tuesday morning and was encouraged by what he saw.

“Ben’s great, I had a good catch-up with him this morning, an hour and a bit talking, and he was outstanding actually,” Brendon McCullum said. “To my assessment, he looks fantastic, he looks ready to go, he’s enthusiastic about the week and obviously from our point of view it’s nice to have the band back together,” he added.

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The controversy had fuelled reports suggesting tensions between Stokes and England’s leadership group. Some reports claimed the captain was left confused by public comments about his well-being, while discussions with England director of cricket Rob Key were reportedly uncomfortable.

However, McCullum strongly rejected any suggestion that his relationship with Stokes had deteriorated. “Him and I talked about that this morning,” Brendon McCullum said. “Yes, we have those robust conversations but you’d be incredibly disappointed if leaders of organisations weren’t having those robust conversations to try to steer your team forward.”

The former New Zealand captain also admitted he was unsure where the speculation surrounding their partnership had originated.

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“I said to him, ‘Do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?’ He said, ‘No, I have no idea.’” Brendon McCullum then made his feelings clear about the England skipper. “I said to him, ‘As far as I’m concerned, I consider you a good friend,’” he revealed.

With England preparing for a winner-takes-all Test against New Zealand, McCullum described the recent controversy as merely “a slight blip” and stressed that Stokes continues to enjoy the complete support and respect of the dressing room as the team chases a series victory.