Shortly after being cleared of affray at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, Stokes, from Cockermouth, was added to a 13-man squad for the third Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board also confirmed a disciplinary investigation is set to reconvene into the behaviour of Stokes and his One-Day International team-mate Alex Hales. The pair were involved in a fight on a night out in Bristol last September after an ODI against the West Indies.
The Cricket Discipline Commission process, which has the remit to impose penalties including an unlimited fine or suspension and termination of registration, was halted 11 months ago while criminal proceedings took precedence, and will not resume imminently.
While the outcome remains to be seen, Vaughan hopes Stokes, who was not able to play in the winter’s Ashes series as England suffered a 4-0 defeat, will be allowed to return his full focus to on-field matters once more.
“I believe he has suffered enough punishment already and the cricket disciplinary case against him should take into account the time he has already served after missing the five Tests and One-Day series in Australia,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph .
“There is no question he brought the game into disrepute but cricketers have few opportunities in their lives to play an Ashes series in Australia and missing that tour was a massive blow for Ben.”
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