England’s Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes (AP Photo)

captain of england ben stokes And fast bowler Gus Atkinson has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation into a nightclub incident following his team’s win over New Zealand earlier this month. The pair had already been given written warnings by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for violating the team curfew and were ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand. However, both players are expected to return for the series-deciding third Test, which starts on Thursday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. On Monday the independent cricket regulator confirmed that no disciplinary action would be taken against any players after completing a review of the matter. The controversy arose from events following England’s victory in the opening Test, when Stokes and Atkinson stayed out past the team’s midnight curfew and visited a London nightclub. During the same evening, a team security officer was allegedly attacked by a rugby player from Premiership club Saracens. The cricket regulator launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and said it examined a range of evidence before reaching its conclusions. “After carefully reviewing all the information currently available, the cricket regulator has determined that there is not sufficient evidence to prove that any regulatory breach has occurred,” the body said in a statement. According to the regulator, investigators conducted “a series of inquiries to gather and assess evidence” before deciding that the case did not require further action. The episode reignited debate about the culture within the England men’s set-up, particularly following criticism following the team’s unsuccessful Ashes tour of Australia, where reports of excessive drinking and unprofessional behavior had attracted widespread attention. Although the off-field issue has now been resolved, the focus will soon return to cricket. England and New Zealand will go into the third and final Test with the series tied at 1-1, leading to a decisive match at Trent Bridge.