Boycott insisted that Stokes should be made an example of, arguing that the captain’s actions sent the wrong message and undermined team discipline.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board has to make an example of Ben Stokes and slap him with a suspension after he was caught breaking the team’s curfew. You cannot have the captain blatantly breaking the rules and not do anything about it just because he is so important to the team,” Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph UK.
While acknowledging that players are entitled to celebrate after a win, Boycott criticised the duration and timing of the outing, suggesting it reflected poorly on professional standards within the side.
“It is fine to go out and have a couple of drinks after a win. But to stay out until the early hours of the morning is different. That is not good as a professional cricketer in the middle of the season,” he added.
He further argued that England, still rebuilding after a difficult Ashes campaign, should have exercised greater discipline and caution, particularly in the aftermath of previous off-field concerns involving Harry Brook.
“They deny there is a drinking culture, but it is there for everybody to see. The Lord’s Test finished at 1pm and yet they were still out drinking more than 12 hours later,” Boycott said.
Boycott concluded by stating that leadership demands higher standards, even if no curfew is officially in place, and urged the team to avoid repeated disciplinary distractions.
