Michael Vaughan believes that Ben Stokes' shock decision to retire from international cricket was triggered, at least in part, by "a fall-out with the ECB" and "a lack of trust" between captain and management.
Vaughan, the broadcaster and former England captain, said after England's defeat at The Oval last week that people had been "briefing" against Stokes in the aftermath of the nightclub incident that saw him miss that Test match, and that Stokes would know who they were.
Stokes has not spoken publicly since announcing his decision midway through the fourth day of England's series decider at Trent Bridge, but told his shocked team-mates before play that "reasons why can wait" in an emotional dressing-room speech.
Vaughan, who like Stokes is managed by Neil Fairbrother, told the BBC's Test Match Special that he believed that his decision was informed by a breakdown in trust with the ECB.
"I just think about the last two weeks," Vaughan said. "When you're England captain, you've got to trust those that you're working with. You have to trust everyone around: the management, the ECB.
"I honestly think there's been a lack of trust, and that triggers you. I'm not saying it's going to be the only reason why Ben Stokes has stepped down, but all these things: the winter was a tough winter, there were incidents on and off the field.
"Obviously [in] the build-up to that first Test at Lord's, he didn't look quite right at Lord's. He wasn't quite the Ben Stokes from a few years ago. And then obviously the incident happens, and he's clearly had a fall-out with the ECB across the last week or so, and that's a little bit of the trust that he's probably lost in them."
Vaughan said that, at 35, Stokes may simply have decided that he no longer had the "fire" to keep leading England, though added that such a feeling would have been informed by an absence of trust.
"Fundamentally, it sounds like he's just woken up and he's going, 'Nah, the fight's gone, and the fire's not quite burning anymore.'
"I'll be interested to really hear what he has to say about why - why at this stage, when obviously he's come back from the incident, he's played pretty well this week, particularly with the ball this week: four-for in the first innings, bowled a mammoth spell, looked OK with the bat.
"But I just think that fire, and that fire only burns inside you when you've got a group around you that you are absolutely trustworthy (sic) of and something's happened. We can't hide behind that fact. I just hope that's not one of the main reasons why he's had to step down."