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Ben Stokes has been dropped from the 2nd Test squad between England and New Zealand. Joe Root is taking over the leadership role for the upcoming match after the nightclub controversy, where Stokes and his England teammate Gus Atkinson were involved in a fight against a rugby player named Totoa Auva, breaking the team curfew protocols.
They had a physical altercation with the former Samoa A and Samoa Under-20 captain, who stands 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m) tall. There was video footage that was captured outside the nightclub. After this incident, both cricketers have been punished by being dropped from the side ahead of the 2nd Test match at the Oval.
I expect Ben Stokes to captain England again- Stuart Broad
Several former cricketers have backed Ben Stokes despite being involved in the controversy. Now, former England pacer Stuart Broad has gone on to back his former skipper as he believes that Ben Stokes should captain England once again and also feels that during a 10-day break between matches is not breaking the curfew.
"I expect Ben Stokes to captain England again. I hope so, and I genuinely believe he will. In my view, this should be a one-Test-match ban. A two-Test suspension would be completely excessive based on the information available right now.
"Missing a curfew during a period where there was a 10-day break between matches is very different from breaking team rules during a packed schedule or between back-to-back Tests."
"It would set a dangerous precedent if England were to hand out a two-Test ban. If you think about it, that effectively means missing around 10 days of international cricket. By that logic, if a player arrived five minutes late due to traffic during an ODI World Cup and got back at 12:05 instead of midnight, would they then miss 10 ODIs? That simply doesn’t make sense."
Missing a curfew is not a sackable offence- Stuart Broad backs Ben Stokes
Broad also believes that the two players will be back for the third and final Test and stated that breaking curfews is not a sackable offence, as there have been reports of Ben Stokes possibly stepping down from the leadership role and also retiring from Test cricket after the controversy.
"I fully expect this to be a one-Test ban, and I would hope both players return to the squad for Trent Bridge, with Stokes retaining the captaincy. Missing a curfew is not a sackable offence for an England captain."
"Harry Brook retained the white-ball captaincy after his incident in New Zealand last October, which, in my opinion, was a far more serious situation. Knowing Stokes the way I do, I think the most important thing for him right now is to take some time."
"He should reflect on everything that has happened, watch the cricket at The Oval, and see how he feels. There is absolutely no rush for him to make any major decisions."
"I have seen reports suggesting that he may be considering retirement or even stepping away from the captaincy. Those decisions may ultimately be taken out of his hands, but he doesn’t need to decide anything in the next 24 hours, 48 hours, or even the next week."
Ben Stokes to lead England in Ashes 2027?
While speaking on the 2027 Ashes, the former pacer stated that Ben Stokes should lead England in the Ashes series next year and also gave clarity about Brendon McCullum and Rob Key’s future in the English team.
"He should settle down, spend some time around the game, and take stock of the situation. Stokes has great people around him, and I’m sure he’ll be leaning on them for advice as he figures out what comes next and where this leaves his captaincy reign."
"On a personal level, both as a fan and as a friend, if you ask me whether I want to see Ben Stokes leading England against Australia in the 2027 Ashes, my answer is absolutely yes. I still want to see him captain this England team. That’s where I stand on the issue right now. As for Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, I don’t really know where this leaves them after a curfew has been broken after just one game."
