Ben Stokes hits out at ICC over inconsistent disciplinary actions

Ben Stokes was punished by the match referee during the third Test at Mohali when he was reprimanded for using abusive language directed towards Indian players. Stokes was demerited a point under the ICC's new code of conduct which now puts him in line for a mandatory ban of one Test or two One-Day Internationals, should he double his demerit points at any point over the next two years.

“I think that side of the game can be jumped on, and people get slapped with fines,' Stokes said, reported The Telegraph.

“If you're going to do someone, you've got to do the next person, no matter who they are and who they play for.”

The 25-year old also called for the authorities to make every player equal while setting out the rules.

“It's part of the game, so I don't see any reason why they should clamp down on it so quickly. If there's one rule, it's got to be the same rule for everyone. It can't just be that certain people get away with certain things, and other people don't get away with them,” he added.

There were sparks flying between both the teams when Indian skipper Virat Kohli made a silencing gesture following Stokes' dismissal in the second innings of the Mohali Test and the Englishman went on to explain the incident from his perspective.

“He looked like he was picking his nose when he did the quiet comment after I did it before him, but there's been nothing else,” said Stokes.

Asked what he was learning about how to deal with such confrontations, he replied with a smile: “I'm constantly getting told to not swear next to the stump mike.”

Despite the rivalry, Stokes went on to praise Kohli's performances in the series.

“You can't say too much to a bloke who's got 600 runs in the series. You've got to hold your hands up to him and appreciate the player he is,” the 25-year old complimented the Indian captain.

Stokes also claimed that England are looking forward to win the fifth and final Test at Chennai after losing the series 3-0.

“We're a team that will want to go home 3-1, not 4-0,' he said. 'It's not going to be a case of walking out there and letting them walk all over us. We want to win this game as much as we've wanted to win every other game so far. But losing isn't the way you want to go about things. We're disappointed to be going back to England after the way things have gone out here,” he concluded.