Call for England cricket to sober up

Former England cricket 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 bodily harm after getting into a fight in the early hours 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 teammates 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 needs to deal with players’ behaviour.

“Yes, he’s 26 years of age, he should be more mature, he has made a huge mistake and I have no sympathy for Ben Stokes,” Vaughan told the BBC.

“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’?”

Stokes has been involved in drink-related stories before, having been sent home from a 2013 Lions tour, while it has been reported that he was out partying during a Test match at Old Trafford recently.

“A story came out this week that Ben Stokes was out until 3am 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?”