Former England captain Michael Vaughan has shared his views on the recent controversy involving legendary all-rounder Ben Stokes. The cricketer-turned-commentator said Stokes made a mistake by violating the team’s curfew, but argued that he should not lose the England Test captaincy because of the incident.
Stokes and Gus Atkinson break team protocol while celebrating England’s first Test win over New Zealand. The pair were present during the late-night incident and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an investigation. After the dispute, Joe Root is ready to captain England in the second test.
I don’t think it would have been easy for Rob Key – Michael Vaughan on Ben Stokes investigation
There is speculation about Stokes’s future as Test captain. While Michael Vaughan agreed that disciplinary action was necessary, he also highlighted the impact Stokes has had on the England Test team since taking over the captaincy in 2022.
“I don’t think it will be easy for Rob Key to deal with this, because he’s been working with Ben Stokes for three or four months on this protocol, making sure the culture is a bit better for what he sees,” Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
“I think they have to suspend him. I think they have to suspend the captain. Well, once you break your protocol, that’s it. If you don’t suspend him for at least one game.”
He obviously didn’t say yes – Michael Vaughan on Rob Key’s comments
Michael Vaughan said that England’s director of cricket Rob Key stopped fully supporting Stokes as Test captain. Vaughan suggested that Key should have publicly supported Stokes while the still-ongoing investigation continued its work.
“If you look at Rob Key’s quotes during the week, most of them were about the investigation and the process. He was asked four times in the press conference, ‘Will Ben Stokes be the England captain?’ And he clearly didn’t say yes. If you’re in Rob’s place and you want Ben Stokes back, he could have said, ‘Yes, as long as the investigation is thorough and nothing comes to light.'”
Investigations are ongoing by both the ECB and the cricket regulator. However, the ECB has rejected claims that Stokes was asked to step down and said he has been given time to consider his position.
Ben Stokes has done a lot for English cricket – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan believes that Stokes deserves a chance to continue in this role. Vaughan acknowledged that Stokes had made a serious mistake by breaching team protocol, but argued that his overall contribution to English cricket should not be overlooked during the ongoing investigation.
“I think Ben Stokes has done so much for English cricket that I thought this week, look, he messed up. He knows it. He messed up, and it’s a terrible situation for the team when the captain breaks protocol.”
“But I don’t know, there’s something inside of me that feels like I wonder if the ECB has kind of gone, ‘Okay, is it time to get Ben Stokes out of the way?’ I hope not, because I think if there’s anyone who has earned the right to come back as captain of this team, it’s Ben Stokes.”
The 35-year-old took charge of the England Test team in 2022 and led the team to 24 wins in 43 Tests. However, England have suffered setbacks in recent months, including a 1-4 Ashes defeat in Australia.
In the recent Lord’s Test against New Zealand, he scored just 12 runs in two innings and bowled 1/34 from seven overs. Over the last 12 months, the left-handed batsman has scored at an average of 26.31 with the bat in 19 Test innings.