Former captain Michael Vaughan says the England cricket team must change their culture after the Ben Stokes’ arrest.
The allrounder was arrested early last Monday following a night out in Bristol, on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after getting into a fight. Video footage allegedly shows Stokes throwing punches and knocking a man to the ground.
He has not been charged but police inquiries continue. Stokes and other teammates including Alex Hales were out celebrating a one-day international win over the West Indies less than 72 hours before their next game.
Vaughan says team management need to address how their players behave.
“Yes, he’s 26 years of age, he should be more mature, he has made a massive mistake and I have no sympathy for Ben Stokes whatsoever,” Vaughan told BBC 5Live.
“But the management of the England team have to look at themselves in the mirror and say, ‘Hang on a minute, could we have done a bit more? Could we have been a bit stricter?’.
“I am not saying I want a headmaster and have a curfew and say ,’You have got to be in your room by 11pm and you can never drink’, but there is a time and a place and I just think now, with what has gone on this week, the culture of cricket has to change quickly.”
Stokes has been involved in drink-related incidents before, having been sent home from a 2013 Lions tour. It has been reported he had been out partying during a Test match earlier this year at Old Trafford.
Vaughan says the hierarchy should have been aware.
“A story came out this week that Ben Stokes was out until 3am during a Test match in Manchester,” Vaughan added.
“I knew that at the time, it was the talk of the media centre. The story was ripped out of the newspapers; it wasn’t allowed to go in; they fought tooth and nail to make sure that story didn’t reach the papers – bad PR, looks terrible on Ben Stokes.
“If I knew it and the media knew it, how come anything wasn’t done to Ben Stokes in the England team?
“When we go on tour, we go to Australia, to India, to Bangladesh, there is a huge amount of security. There is no way in a million years any England player is allowed out, they’re allowed to go and party, but there is no way they are allowed out on their own at that time of night.”
ColinP
Guest
"Ben Stokes has been reprimanded by the ICC for “using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match” "The incident occurred after the fifth ball off the 101st over of the West Indies innings, when Shai Hope hit Stokes through the cordon for four. Stokes' subsequent expletive was "clearly audible through the stump mic and also heard by the match officials", according to an ICC release, and amounted to a breach of Article 2.1.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct which deals with "using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an international match". dont lie, or read random cricket blogs and quote them
ColinP
Guest
tha aug 2017 wasnt to a referee thats made up.....it was to himself....huge controversy because ICC basically saying if you get so angry with yourself and swear you get a demerit point. Yes he's just criminally assaulted someone but be fair to the bugger he didnt swear at an umpire
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Yeah, there have been incidents like this with some major Australian players, but generally it's been when they've still been really young and not in the team that long, and it's generally served as a turning point where they've cleaned themselves up from then on and also become improved cricketers because of it. Stokes has been around for a number of years now, is old enough to know better, and has had a number of other issues (none nearly this bad, but enough red-flags that things should have been addressed) that have gone unchecked and his behaviour hasn't matured, he's just continued the same.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"He’s saying the “England team culture must change” but this is not about the entire team but about one guy, Stokes." It's about more than just Stokes - Hales was in the fight with him, kicking someone while they were on the ground. And Vaughan is concerned about the fact that Stokes has been flirting with late-night trouble for a long time now yet, it seems, was never properly reeled in by teammates or the ECB.
Josh
Guest
Yeah im sorry, Stokes was a drunk yobo who got into a fight, Pieterson betrayed his team mates.
DavSA
Guest
At the time this incident first became public knowledge I defended Stokes saying that what he did in his own time is his own business. I also felt that the law will determine his guilt not the England cricket management . ...I have however subsequently done a U-turn on my own opinion and feel I was dead wrong . I have also paid more attention to footage etc. Stokes is a very good cricketer , a go to player who would make any side in the world if available . He is a hero of many a young cricketer and I for one do not want our youngsters seeing him as escaping sanction for his behavior..I do not want under any circumstances for Ben Stokes to be seen as a cricketing role model . He is not.
George
Guest
KP never should have been recalled after texting immediate opponents about his own team's weaknesses. Not sure why they bother trying to reintegrate someone that self-absorbed.
Sideline Commentator
Roar Guru
This, unfortunately, is exactly what I mean. These things have a funny way of disappearing when it comes to people in the spotlight.
Sideline Commentator
Roar Guru
The thing about humans is that we don't like hypocrisy, but it's never really stopped anyone doing what they want.
Jake
Guest
Ben Stokes' misdemeanours Feb 2013 Stokes and team-mate Matt Coles are sent home from an England Lions tour to Australia for late night drinking, ignoring a written warning they received earlier in the tour. March 2014 Stokes fractures his right hand after punching a locker in frustration during an England tour of the West Indies. He misses the World Twenty20. April 2015 Stokes’s verbal spat with West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels results in Samuels giving an ironic salute to Stokes during a Test match in St George’s. Oct 2016 Stokes is fined and receives a demerit point on his disciplinary record after an exchange with Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman. Nov 2016 Stokes receives an official reprimand from the ICC after an exchange with India captain Virat Kohli during a Test match in Mohali. Aug 2017 Stokes is reprimanded for using “obscene, offensive or insulting” language towards a referee during England’s Test match against the West Indies. Sep 2017 Arrested by police on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after an incident in Bristol which left a man with facial injuries.
matth
Guest
It will depend whether England are more worried about a PR disaster or a cricketing disaster.
matth
Guest
In the same way that footballers at different times around the country are only charged if they are fringe first graders. Rep players tend to get away with it. They get good behaviour bonds, or the victim miraculously refuses to press charges.
matth
Guest
I assume he will be stripped of the vice captaincy as punishment and made to attend some sort of counselling and then will turn up at the Gabba. Contrast how KP was treated.
jameswm
Roar Guru
How are criminal charges unlikely? Not from the footage I saw.
Alan
Guest
Vaughan is the numpty who was tweeting his support for Stokes at first. You'd feel safe with him covering your back.
Mike Dugg
Guest
Warner hit one guy and was banned for three matches. Stokes has a long history of unprofessional behavior.
Ouch
Guest
After the carry-on from the poms about Warner after the Root incident, it would be hypocritical in the extreme if they allowed him to play. If the shoe was on the other foot and it was an Aussie who had bashed a couple of guys the wailing would be deafening. I guess it depends how desperate they are. There have been quite a few articles in the English press advocating a year long ban for Stokes which includes preventing him from playing in the IPL
Rellum
Roar Guru
Of course he will play. What ever reason they come up with or punishment they give him will allow him to play in the ashes.
Sideline Commentator
Roar Guru
I'll be surprised if he doesn't play in Australia in some capacity. I think it's far beyond the ECB to ban him for both the test and ODI series. I expect him to be dropped for 2-3 tests, and then come back in for the last couple. At the very worst he'll be dropped for the Ashes and play the ODIs. The only thing that will really stop them is if the cops pursue criminal charges, which I think is unlikely.
Ouch
Guest
If Stokes makes an appearance in Australia in any form of the game, the ECB will lose all credibility. The guy is a serial offender. They should have dealt with him long ago but instead they rewarded him by giving him the vice-captaincy.