England (Showbiz Desk): England Test captain Ben Stokes has been dropped from the team over allegations of breaching discipline, prompting reactions from former captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton.
Both former captains described the nightclub incident as a serious mistake, but agreed that it was not severe enough to justify removing him from captaincy.
Nasser Hussain said that Stokes has made extraordinary contributions to England cricket and played a key role in major victories, including ODI and T20 World Cups. He described Stokes as a “fighter” but acknowledged that he had made a mistake this time. Hussain added that it was not an offense serious enough to exclude him from the team entirely and hoped Stokes would not make emotional decisions such as retirement.
On the other hand, Michael Atherton said the issue was amplified due to the atmosphere around the team after the Ashes series. He stated that staying out late after a victory is not a crime that should lead to resignation or dismissal.
Atherton further said Stokes has been leading the team for the past four years and his decisions should be respected. He added that in the future, people may question why a player retired over a curfew breach.
It is worth noting that both Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been dropped from the second Test against New Zealand due to disciplinary violations.