Ben Stokes has to understand what he's involved in, says Michael Vaughan
What's the story?
The trouble for Ben Stokes is not ending anytime soon and there are plenty of statements being directed towards him from all quarters.
Former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan has minced no words and has slammed Stokes for his irresponsible behaviour, just on the cusp of an Ashes tour.
"[Stokes] can have as many talks from the England management, from his wife and his agent, but he has got to understand now what he's doing and what he's been involved in in the last few days,” Vaughan said while speaking to 5 live Breakfast’s Rachel Burden.
Stokes should "take a look at himself in the mirror", he added.
The details
Vaughan also said that Stokes is a temperamental person and that there is a switch which he just can't switch off.
Apart from this, Vaughan said that the promising all-rounder needs to identify the fact that he is a famous personality these days and hence has to act more responsibly. Thus, he cannot quite fathom the reason behind Stokes' presence in a bar at 2:30 am on a Monday when there was a match to be played on Wednesday.
In case you didn't know...
Stokes was arrested on Monday on suspicions of causing actual bodily harm after being involved in a brawl in Bristol.
He was arrested on Monday and released under investigation - without charge.
Also, he was picked in the Ashes squad and retained his vice-captaincy for the all-important tour.
What’s next?
Stokes will now be quizzed as part of an inquiry set-up by the ECB. However, he will depart for Australia along with the rest of the squad on October 28.
However, despite reaching Australia, he might not feature in the two warm-up matches and hence will go into the Test matches without acclimatizing to the Australian conditions.
Author’s take
Stokes' disciplinary issue is not a recent occurrence and he has been involved in quite a number of incidents in the past which have only tarnished his reputation.
However, the ECB, by including him in the squad, have tried to cajole the situation but they will know that the mercurial all-rounder's antics can prove to be detrimental to the team's cause if he goes haywire Down Under.
The ball, by all means, is in Stokes' court as of now!