England 'team culture' must change: Vaughan

Former Test captain Michael Vaughan says the England cricket team must change their culture after Ben Stokes' alleged involvement in a late-night street brawl.

The allrounder was arrested in the early hours of last Monday following a night out in Bristol on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm, with video footage published by The Sun showing a person alleged to be Stokes throwing punches and knocking a man to the ground.

Stokes, England’s Test vice-captain, has not been charged but police enquiries continue, while the England and Wales Cricket Board have suspended him and batsman Alex Hales "until further notice".

Stokes and other teammates including Hales were out celebrating a one-day international win over the West Indies less than 72 hours before their next game.

"Yes, he's 26 years of age, he should be more mature, he has made a massive mistake and I have no sympathy for Ben Stokes whatsoever," Vaughan told the BBC.

"But the management of the England team have to look at themselves in the mirror and say, 'Hang on a minute, could we have done a bit more? Could we have been a bit stricter?'.

"I am not saying I want a headmaster and have a curfew and say, 'You have got to be in your room by 11pm and you can never drink', but there is a time and a place.

"I just think now, with what has gone on this week, the culture of cricket has to change quickly."

England coach Trevor Bayliss last week said England would "be looking into" the merits of a curfew in response to the incident.

"I've been with teams before when we've had curfews and that doesn't work," the Australian-born Bayliss said.

"Whichever way you go about it, a lot of the responsibility comes back onto the players - they're adults."

Stokes has been involved in alcohol-related incidents in the past and was sent home from a England Lions tour of Australia in 2013. 

Vaughan said reports of Stokes being out late during a Test match earlier this year at Old Trafford should have sounded alarm bells for England’s team hierarchy.

"A story came out this week that Ben Stokes was out until 3am during a Test match in Manchester," Vaughan added.

"I knew that at the time, it was the talk of the media centre. The story was ripped out of the newspapers; it wasn't allowed to go in; they fought tooth and nail to make sure that story didn't reach the papers – bad PR, looks terrible on Ben Stokes.

"If I knew it and the media knew it, how come anything wasn't done to Ben Stokes in the England team?

"When we go on tour, we go to Australia, to India, to Bangladesh, there is a huge amount of security. There is no way in a million years any England player is allowed out, they're allowed to go and party, but there is no way they are allowed out on their own at that time of night."

The ECB have referred the matter to their internal disciplinary committee, with question marks lingering over Stokes’ participation in the Magellan Ashes, which gets underway on November 23.

"Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will not be considered for selection for England international matches until further notice," the ECB's latest statement reads.

"Each remains on full pay pending further ECB investigation and the ongoing Police investigation into an incident in Bristol in the early hours of Monday 25 September."

Australia spearhead Mitchell Starc on Tuesday spoke in glowing terms of Stokes' all-round ability but believes England remain a strong team without him.

"Everyone in world cricket knows how good Ben is," Starc told reporters in Sydney.

"If he does come, we know how good a player he is and he makes that team much more balanced. If he's not there it's a big blow for them.

"But he's not the be-all and end-all of their team. There's plenty of other guys we need to worry about.

"Some experienced bowlers, some experienced batsmen at the top. They bat quite deep as well, when you've got Moeen Ali coming in at No.8 and (Chris) Woakes probably coming in at 9.

"It's not just about one guy."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21