Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, shocked the world on Sunday by announcing his retirement from international cricket. The announcement came midway through Day 4 of the third Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge as Stokes decided to bring the curtain down on a long and illustrious career, which saw him emerge as one of the biggest match-winners of this generation. However, Michael Vaughan believes there is more to Stokes’ decision than meets the eye.
The 2005 Ashes-winning captain believes that Stokes’ call to retire was in part triggered by the “fallout” with the ECB after the nightclub fiasco earlier this month. Vaughan alleged a lack of trust between the all-rounder and the management.
Stokes was dropped for the second Test after he was found guilty of breaking the team curfew. However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned as the captain for the third and final Test.
“I just think about the last two weeks. When you’re England captain, you’ve got to trust those that you’re working with. You have to trust everyone around: the management, the ECB,” Vaughan said on BBC’s Test Match Special.
“I honestly think there’s been a lack of trust, and that triggers you. I’m not saying it’s going to be the only reason why Ben Stokes has stepped down, but all these things: the winter was a tough winter, there were incidents on and off the field,” he added.
It is worth stating that Stokes has yet to speak publicly about whether his decision was affected by the ECB. However, the speculations are rife.
“Obviously [in] the build-up to that first Test at Lord’s, he didn’t look quite right at Lord’s. He wasn’t quite the Ben Stokes from a few years ago. And then obviously the incident happens, and he’s clearly had a fall-out with the ECB across the last week or so, and that’s a little bit of the trust that he’s probably lost in them,” said Vaughan.
‘Fight’s gone’
Stokes, who made a career for himself by stepping up when people doubted him, has lost his fight, according to Vaughan. Stokes came out to open the batting in his last knock as an England captain, and scored a quickfire 30 off 20 balls in the final innings of the Trent Bridge Test.
“Fundamentally, it sounds like he’s just woken up and he’s going, ‘Nah, the fight’s gone, and the fire’s not quite burning anymore.’ I’ll be interested to really hear what he has to say about why – why at this stage, when obviously he’s come back from the incident, he’s played pretty well this week, particularly with the ball this week: four-for in the first innings, bowled a mammoth spell, looked OK with the bat,” said Vaughan.
“But I just think that fire, and that fire only burns inside you when you’ve got a group around you that you are absolutely trustworthy (sic) of and something’s happened. We can’t hide behind that fact. I just hope that’s not one of the main reasons why he’s had to step down,” he added.