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Ben Stokes has been dropped from the squad for the second Test match between England and New Zealand. Joe Root is taking on a leadership role for the upcoming match following a nightclub brawl, where Stokes and his England teammate Gus Atkinson were involved in a fight against a rugby player named Totoa Auwa, breaking team curfew protocols.
He had a physical altercation with the former Samoa A and Samoa under-20 captain, who is 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 m) tall. There was video footage that was captured outside the nightclub. After this incident, both the cricketers have been dropped from the team ahead of the second Test match at The Oval.
I hope Ben Stokes will captain England again – Stuart Broad
Despite being involved in controversy, many former cricketers have supported Ben Stokes. Now, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has supported his former captain as he believes that Ben Stokes should captain England once again and he also feels that the 10-day break between matches is not breaking the curfew.
“I expect Ben Stokes to captain England again. I hope so, and I have full confidence that he will. In my view, it should be a one-Test ban. A two-Test suspension would be completely excessive based on the information available now.
“Not imposing a curfew at a time when there is a 10-day break between matches is very different from breaking team rules during a busy schedule or between consecutive Test matches.”
“It would set a dangerous precedent if England were handed a two-Test ban. If you think about it, that would effectively mean missing about 10 days of international cricket. By that logic, if a player is five minutes late due to traffic during an ODI World Cup and comes back at 12:05 am instead of midnight, wouldn’t they be able to play 10 ODIs? It doesn’t make sense.”
Missing curfew is not a dismissable offense – Stuart Broad supports Ben Stokes
Broad also believes both players will be back for the third and final Test and added that breaking curfew is not a dismissable offence, as there have also been reports of Ben Stokes possibly stepping down from leadership roles and retiring from Test cricket following the controversy.
“I fully expect this to be a one-Test ban, and I expect both players to return to the squad for Trent Bridge, with Stokes retaining the captaincy. Being absent past curfew is not a dismissable offense for the England captain.”
“Harry Brook retained the white-ball captaincy after the incident in New Zealand last October, which was, in my opinion, a much more serious situation. From the way I know Stokes, I think the most important thing for him right now is to take some time off.”
“He should reflect on whatever has happened, watch the cricket at the Oval and see how he feels. There is no rush for him to take any major decisions.”
“I have seen reports saying that he may consider retirement or even step down from captaincy. Those decisions may eventually be taken out of his hands, but he does not need to take any decision in the next 24 hours, 48 hours or even in the next week.”
Will Ben Stokes captain England in Ashes 2027?
Speaking on the 2027 Ashes, the former fast bowler said that Ben Stokes should lead England in the Ashes series next year and also gave clarity about the future of Brendon McCullum and Rob Key in the English team.
“He needs to calm down, spend some time around the game and take stock of the situation. There are great people around Stokes, and I’m sure he will lean on them for advice as he knows what happens next and where it leaves his captaincy.”
“On a personal level, as a fan and as a friend, if you ask me whether I want to see Ben Stokes leading England against Australia in the 2027 Ashes, my answer is absolutely yes. I still want to see him captain this England team. That’s where I stand on the issue right now. As for Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, I don’t really know that breaking curfew after just one game. Where does this leave them after?”