3 min readJun 13, 2026 04:27 PM IST
First published on: Jun 13, 2026 at 04:27 PM IST
Former England spinner Graeme Swann expressed concern about the Ben Stokes incident at a night club after their 1st Test win vs New Zealand last week, saying that he hopes that it was not the end of the road for the England captain. Stokes and pacer Gus Atkinson was dropped from the England squad for the second Test vs the Kiwis with the ECB saying they were not available for selection due to the investigation going on.
“I don’t know. I hope it’s not the end because he’s the best captain we’ve had, arguably, since Andrew Strauss. Alastair Cook’s not going to like that. Sorry, Cooky,” “I think he’s (Stokes) a very good man manager and leads by example. He really does lead by example. That’s where he’s let himself down,” he said to PTI.
Swann also said that the placement of curfew on players was not the ideal thing to do, adding that ‘the day you’re not allowed to celebrate winning a Test match for your country is a dark day.’
“My thoughts are very mixed on this. The fact that there’s a curfew put in place is… I’m a former player. You will never, ever convince me that a curfew is a good thing. It’s ridiculous that they even did that in the first place. I understand why they did it, because they’re trying to paint a good picture to other people, to a PR side of it. That doesn’t work. I think they’ll learn a lesson, the ECB, from that, that we shouldn’t have done that at all,” he said.
“We should have come out, sat down and actually talked about what we’re going to do as a culture and make sure we’re moving forward. But just to put a midnight curfew after winning a Test match, the day you’re not allowed to celebrate winning a Test match for your country is a dark day,” he added.
Swann also warned that England would struggle to replace Stokes if he is not allowed back into the team or retires.
“Well, the problem is on the field, we haven’t got an all-rounder anywhere near Ben Stokes…what he brings with the bat and the ball. Stokes is an enigma. He’s a world-class fast bowler who swings the ball. We don’t have a swing bowler. No one has swing bowlers in the world. So he’s irreplaceable on the field, I think. And, you know, as a captain, he’s been brilliant.” Despite the controversy, Swann insisted that the lesson for players was not to stop celebrating but to recognise the reality of modern scrutiny. I think the lesson learned is to stay in the changing room and just enjoy it between yourselves. What’s the point of going out? You can’t do it these days,” he said.
England's Ben Stokes reacts as he leaves the field after their win in the Test match against New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) 
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