Vaughan calls for culture change after Stokes incident
England´s management need to address how their players behave, says the former captain
October 04, 2017
LONDON: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for a change in the culture of the national team after Ben Stokes´ arrest on a night out.
Stokes was arrested in Bristol on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm after getting into a fight in the early hours of last Monday.
Video footage allegedly shows the England all-rounder throwing punches and knocking a man to the floor.
Stokes, who has not been charged, and other England team-mates were out celebrating a one-day international win over West Indies less than 72 hours before their next game.
Vaughan believes that was a poor decision and says England´s 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 the BBC on Tuesday.
"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 11:00 pm 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 stories before, having been sent home from a 2013 Lions tour, while it has been reported he was out partying during a Test match at Old Trafford this summer.
"A story came out this week that Ben Stokes was out until 3:00 am during a Test match in Manchester," Vaughan added.
"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 an 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."
