Why are so many of our sporting heroes such thugs today?

Whatever happened to that guileless young Ben Stokes, the lad who left school with two GCSES and arrived on our cricket scene as a lanky 18-year-old, and instantly captivated crowds with his electrifying talent.

In the years that followed, the brilliant sportsman showed he could bat and bowl in the same bar-emptying manner as Ian Botham and Freddie Flintoff.

he became a hero and role model to boys and girls everywhere.

But what an appalling example to our young he seems now. Yes, he was cleared of affray by a jury. But that video clip of his night of drunken violence outside a Bristol nightclub has shown us a shamefully darker side — and shocked us deeply.

Over the past two weeks of his appearances at the court case, he offered us no hint of remorse. Perhaps he doesn’t think he needs to. after all, he’s been taken straight back into the england side for today’s test against India, as if he’s done absolutely nothing wrong.

to be fair, england’s cricket coach, trevor Bayliss has urged Stokes to apologise to the public.

‘ I’m sure something will be forthcoming,’ he says. ‘that will be up to Ben and his management team.’ But why should it be up to Bayliss or some ‘management team’ to tell Stokes to apologise?

he should have done so instinctively long ago, acknowledging above all that he has let down every one of the countless young fans who look up to him. What worries me is that so many of today’s sporting heroes do not seem to accept that heavy responsibilities come along with representing your country.

Only this week, another sporting superstar, rugby’s Danny Cipriani, pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest and was fined after brawling and boozing late outside a nightclub in Jersey.

the real tragedy is that we live in an age when youngsters, addicted to their mind- numbing computer screens, desperately need people of awesome ability to aspire to. true heroes who demonstrate that with ambition, application and, yes, ability, they can conquer the world.

Instead, Ben Stokes and Danny Cipriani offered thuggery, violence — and an object lesson in how to squander that talent.