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.