Michael Vaughan thinks the timing of Ben Stokes’s retirement says as much about relationships off the field as it does about form on it. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, the former England captain suggested the all-rounder was pushed towards the decision by “a fall-out with the ECB” and “a lack of trust” between player and management.
The announcement landed midway through day four at Trent Bridge, catching team-mates, coaches and broadcasters on the hop. Stokes told the dressing-room that “reasons why can wait”, then went out to a guard of honour. Since then, he has kept his own counsel.
Vaughan, who is managed by the same agent, Neil Fairbrother, has put two and two together. After England’s defeat at The Oval last week he heard people were “briefing” against Stokes following the late-night incident that ruled him out of that Test. “I just think about the last two weeks,” Vaughan said. “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.”
That word—trust—ran through the whole interview. “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.”
Stokes, 35, had looked short of his usual sparkle, something Vaughan picked up on. “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.”
There is also the simple question of energy. “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.’”
Vaughan does want to hear Stokes’s own explanation. “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.”
Wrapping up, Vaughan returned to that central theme. “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.”
For now, the ECB has chosen not to comment. A formal statement from Stokes is expected once the series with New Zealand concludes.
