Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh believes England’s Cumbrian all-rounder Ben Stokes “owes his team-mates” after the “circus” that surrounded his absence from the Ashes.

Stokes missed all of England’s 4-0 series defeat to Australia over the winter after his arrest in Bristol following a One-Day International in September, for which he has been subsequently charged with affray.

But the 26-year-old, from Cockermouth, returned to action in England’s three-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the opening match of the One-Day International Series on Sunday, taking two wickets.

He then put in a man-of-the-match performance on Wednesday as he guided England to a six-wicket success which levelled the five-match ODI series.

Stokes ran out Kiwi captain Tim Southee and Trent Boult and took two wickets, before top-scoring with 63 not out.

Waugh, though, told Sky Sports Stokes will need to pay back his team-mates for years to come after the issues he caused this winter.

“It’s been chaotic, a bit of a circus,” said Waugh, who captained the Australian Test side from 1999 to 2004.

“He certainly owes his team some good performances over the next couple of years because he really put them in a bit of a hole with the Australian tour, which was unsettling for the whole team.

“I’m sure Stokes has learned his lesson from what has happened, he left England in an awkward position.

“It put them off kilter for the whole trip and they didn’t really recover.”

The third match of the ODI series will take place at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium tomorrow (1am start).

After that, the fourth and five matches of the series will be played on Tuesday and Friday evening (10pm starts).