MICHAEL VAUGHAN believes Ben Stokes has “earned the right” to continue as England captain.

Stokes was dropped for this week’s second Test against New Zealand after he and seamer Gus Atkinson breached a midnight curfew following the series opener at Lord’s.

The 35-year-old is yet to comment publicly on the incident amid suggestions he could resign as skipper or even retire.

Former England captain Vaughan praised the England and Wales Cricket Board’s handling of the situation and hopes Stokes is given the opportunity to continue.

“I think Ben Stokes has done so much for English cricket: he screwed up, he knows that,” said Vaughan, speaking on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show.

“We all know he screwed up and it’s a terrible look for the team when the captain breaks the protocol. But there’s something in me that just wonders whether the ECB have kind of gone: ‘OK, is it time to move Ben Stokes out of the way?’

“I hope not. If there’s someone that’s earned the right to come back as the captain of this team, it’s Ben Stokes.”

Atkinson has also been stood down by the ECB following the night out in London, which ended in a confrontation involving Saracens rugby union player Totoa Auvaa.

With uncertainty continuing to surround the future of Stokes, former captain Joe Root has agreed to step back into the breach this week at the Kia Oval.

“I actually think this week they’ve dealt with this really well,” said Vaughan, referring to the ECB.

“They’ve got it out there into the public domain quickly.

“I don’t think it will have been easy for Rob Key [England’s managing director] to deal with this because he’s been working with Ben for three or four months on this protocol of making sure the culture is a little bit better.

“I do think they had to suspend him.”