England cricket captain Ben Stokes has been dropped from the second Test against New Zealand following a breach of team protocol, but former skipper Michael Vaughan still believes that Stokes has "earned the right" to retain his leadership role despite the incident.
Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson were stood down after violating a midnight curfew following the series opener at Lord’s. The night out in London reportedly culminated in a confrontation involving Saracens rugby union player Totoa Auvaa.
The 35-year-old all-rounder has yet to publicly address the situation, fuelling speculation regarding his future, with suggestions ranging from resignation as captain to potential retirement from the sport.
Speaking on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show, Vaughan acknowledged Stokes’s error but passionately defended his right to return.
"I think Ben Stokes has done so much for English cricket; he screwed up, he knows that," Vaughan stated.
"We all know he screwed up and it’s a terrible look for the team when the captain breaks the protocol. But there’s something in me that just wonders whether the ECB have kind of gone, ‘OK, is it time to move Ben Stokes out of the way?’ I hope not.
“If there’s someone that’s earned the right to come back as the captain of this team, it’s Ben Stokes."
Vaughan also commended the England and Wales Cricket Board’s handling of the disciplinary matter.
"I actually think this week they’ve dealt with this really well," he said. "They’ve got it out there into the public domain quickly."
He noted the challenge for England’s managing director, Rob Key, who has been working with Stokes on establishing team protocols.
"I don’t think it will have been easy for Rob Key to deal with this because he’s been working with Ben for three or four months on this protocol of making sure the culture is a little bit better. I do think they had to suspend him."
With Stokes’s future hanging in the balance, former captain Joe Root has agreed to step in as skipper for the upcoming match at the Kia Oval, while the third Test at Trent Bridge is due to follow just three days later.
